When Genius Meets Death
by fokker333
Summary: Ichigo wasn't your everyday fifteen year old teenager. No, he was much more than that. Ichigo was a genius. He could also see ghosts. What happens when a genius with an IQ of over 200 gets thrust into the world of Shinigami? DISCONTINUED, not up for adoption. Idea/original premise is free to use though!
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

Kurosaki Ichigo. 5'9", 134 lbs, bright orange hair. Ichigo wasn't your everyday fifteen year old teenager. No, he was much more than that. Ichigo was a genius. With an unconfirmed IQ of over 200, he could easily have graduated from high school. Heck, he could easily have graduated from college, and graduate school, and gotten a job in almost any field he pleased. But instead, he chose to keep his blazing intellect a secret from everyone, preferring to attend the local high school, Karakura High, where he maintained the grades one would expect from a typical average high school student. Not even his closest friends suspected that Ichigo was anything other than a normal high school student.

Another thing that set Ichigo apart from his classmates: he could see ghosts. This was a secret that wasn't as well-kept as his genius. Not only his father, Kurosaki Isshin, and his younger twin sisters Yuzu and Karin, but also his closest friends Arisawa Tatsuki, Yasutora Sado (aka Chad), and Inoue Orihime knew of this unexplainable ability to see the deceased. After a while, his friends and family accepted the strange, sometimes awkward conversations Ichigo had with (to them) unseen spirits at the breakfast table and on the road to school.

Ichigo often wondered why he kept his abilities so secret. Then he would look up from the dinner table at the gigantic poster on the wall of the dining room. His mother, Kurosaki Masaki, smiled down at him from her place on the wall, with the words MASAKI FOREVER blazing across her face. She had died when Ichigo was nine, and from that day on Ichigo's life lost any sense of normality. At school, he would receive looks of pity and sympathy from his classmates, and he grew distant from the friends that he once laughed with. He lost the bright smile he once had as a child, a near-permanent scowl etching itself onto his face. Not even a month after his mother's death, his massive intellect surfaced. He made the decision then to keep it a secret, wanting his life to remain as normal as possible despite being the only nine year old at school without a mother. Instead, he would wake up, have breakfast, and walk to school to continue his "normal" life as a child, and later as a teenager.

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The sun shone down on Karakura Town, where a shock of bright orange hair could be seen exiting the Kurosaki Clinic and making his way to Karakura High. Schoolbag slung over his shoulder, Ichigo walked casually down the road. Turning a corner, a knocked-over glass bottle with a few flowers inside caught the corner of his eye. Usual scowl deepening, he turned to the trio of thugs who were swaggering away, shoving each other and laughing and spoke.

"Wait."

The single word, completely devoid of any emotion, had a profound effect on the thugs, who froze. Slowly they spun on their heels and faced Ichigo.

"Who the hell are you?" the middle thug, clearly the leader of the trio, drawled, an arrogant grin painted on his face.

"Who am I doesn't matter. What does matter is this," Ichigo said, pointing to the bottle and flowers lying on the ground. "Tell me, what is this?"

"They're flowers set out for the kid who died here recently," said the thug on the left.

"Ding ding ding! Correct!" Before the thugs could blink at Ichigo's sudden change in words, their leader was suddenly laid flat on the ground, Ichigo's foot pressed to his chest and his shocking orange hair mere inches from his face. Had the thugs cared to watch Ichigo's movements closely, they would have seen him drop into a crouch and lunge at the middle thug, closing the distance between Ichigo and the group in a blink of an eye. Upon reaching the group, Ichigo spun on his heel, crashing his other foot into the leader's solar plexus.

Crouching down, he yanked on the hair of the gasping thug, forcing his head up. "Listen to me," he growled, all trace of levity gone from his face. "You assholes are going to fix that bottle and apologize to the kid." Ichigo whirled, his foot still on the leader's chest, and turned the full force of his terrifying glare on the other two thugs, who were cringing at the sight of their fallen leader.

Flinching involuntarily at the scowl, they hurriedly turned to the fallen bottle, setting it back upright. Stepping back, they bowed deeply at it, chorusing in unison, "We are very sorry! Please forgive us!"

Satisfied, Ichigo lifted his foot from the first thugs chest and hissed at the trio, "Good. Now get out of my sight before I get even more pissed off at you. And believe me, you do NOT want to piss me off even more."

Nodding hurriedly, the two lackeys picked up their fallen boss and hobbled away, shouting back over their shoulders, "Thank you for your mercy, kind sir!"

As the trio vanished from view, Ichigo sighed and turned to the young spirit who had been standing beside him during the entire scene. "Sorry about that, I don't usually lose my temper. Just, seeing them knock over your flowers and laughing about it pissed me off."

"Thanks for helping me, nii-san," the young spirit said, looking up at Ichigo admiringly.

"No problem," said Ichigo, blushing a bit in embarrassment, his scowl softening slightly, although not quite enough to be noticed. "Now you hurry and pass on, alright?"

The spirit nodded, fading away from view. Ichigo sighed, ran his fingers through his orange hair, and continued his walk to school. Little did he know that today his life would change forever.

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Hi everyone! My names is fokker333 (you can just call me fokker) and this is my first story on this website! I've been reading fics on this site for a while now, especially Bleach fics, but I've never posted a story yet. However, recently this plot ingrained itself in my brain and I just couldn't leave it unwritten. Basically, it's going to be slightly AU in that Ichigo is a genius, as you would know if you've read what I have so far, and his intellect is going to change the way the original Bleach plot goes. I will more or less stick to canon, so major events such as the Invasion of Soul Society, the arrancar arc, etc. will still happen. HOWEVER: due to Ichigo's genius and subsequent slightly-different-from-canon reactions to some events, the plot WILL change. In addition to these changes, this fic will probably eventually contain IchiRuki, since it's my favorite pairing.

I apologize if this first chapter seems really boring, I'm aware that apart from the first few paragraph's I pretty much just wrote out the first bit of the original anime/manga. I promise that in the future it will be much more different. This chapter is more of a prologue to set the scene. Exposition, if you will.

So, please review, tell me what you think of this idea so far! Unfortunately, due to upcoming final exams, I probably will not update until later next week. However, I will try to stick to a regular update schedule of maybe a chapter or two a week. For now, you can probably expect a new chapter sometime later next week. Again, please leave a review. Any criticisms will be taken into account, but flames will be ignored. Thank you for reading!

~fokker333


	2. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH.

Ichigo sat at his desk that night, working through the derivation of the Kepler conjecture. He was a little over half way through the proof when he felt the familiar tingle that he now knew was associated with spirits. He paused in his writing, tapping his pen against his paper as he thought.

_This presence… it's somehow different from usual. It doesn't feel like a normal spirit. There's something… off. It's almost stronger than usual, almost as though it has a purpose._

Ichigo stared out his window as his genius brain raced, calculating all the different possibilities this new spiritual presence meant.

_The most probable explanation: there are different types of spirits, and until now the only ones I've been exposed to are lower-tiered spirits. It's almost as if this particular spirit has… authority._

Lost in thought, Ichigo almost fell backward off his chair as the source of the rapidly-approaching presence revealed itself. A short girl with black hair and shocking violet eyes, wearing what he recognized as a _shihakusho_, traditional Japanese garments, with a katana thrust through the _obi_, stepped through his wall.

Quickly recovering his wits, Ichigo scowled irritably. "Hey, girl. Don't you know that it's rude to suddenly appear in someone's bedroom like that?"

Completely ignoring Ichigo, the girl looked around. "It's close," she muttered under her breath, hand reaching for the katana at her waist.

_What the fuck?_ Ichigo wondered. _'It's close?' What bullshit is she going on about? _He considered all the different options he could take in getting this strange spirit's attention, his brain running through all the possibilities in a fraction of a second.

_Logic dictates that the most effective and polite way to catch her attention is to calmly walk up behind her and tap her shoulder, keeping a respectable distance and lack of bodily contact. _Ichigo considered this option and discarded it in an instant._ Fuck logic, she just barged into my room!_

Lifting his foot, Ichigo took careful aim and planted it straight in the girl's rear, sending her face first into the floor.

Sputtering, the girl jerked upright, mysterious attitude completely evaporated. "What- who- did you just- how-"

Sighing, Ichigo sat back in his chair and regarded the girl with a calm expression. "Judging from the timbre of your voice and your choice of words, I'm assuming your questions were: 'what just happened,' 'who are you,' 'did you just kick me,' and 'how did you just do that,' am I right?"

The girl sat on her ass, wide-eyed and sputtering. Ichigo sighed again. Clearly, he would not be getting complete sentences from this strange spirit anytime in the next five minutes. "Well, here are the answers to your questions. I just kicked you in the ass. My name is Kurosaki Ichigo. Yes, I just kicked you, if my answer to your first question is and the fact that you are currently sitting on the floor any testament to the fact. The reason I was able to do so was because I have been able to see spirits all my life. Following me so far? And yes, I know that you are a spirit."

Finally able to collect her wits about her, the girl on the floor stood up. Brushing the non-existent dust from the front of her _shihakusho_, she turned to face the genius currently smirking at her from his desk.

"Well, this is certainly… unusual. I wasn't informed that there were any spiritually-aware humans in Karakura Town, much less to the extent that you could actually kick me. I have to report this incident back to Ukitake-taicho."

_She said 'Ukitake-taicho.' A captain? Interesting. Aforementioned honorific, combined with her comment regarding some sort of report, implies that this 'Ukitake-taicho' is a superior of some sort, possibly of a military organization or the like. _Ichigo paused at that thought. _A military organization? I guess I don't know as much about the afterlife as I thought I did. _

He eyed the girl interestedly as she type something on what looked like a cell phone, presumably the report she had said she had to send. Apparently having finished, she put the device into a pocket in her shihakusho and looked up at Ichigo. "Well, this has certainly been an… interesting meeting we've had, Kurosaki Ichigo. But I'm afraid that these matters are confidential."

She pulled another strange-looking device from her pocket and held it up. Ichigo's eyes widened imperceptibly as he stared at the object currently residing in the girl's hand. He watched as her thumb began to depress a button, but before she could do so a howl ripped through the air.

"Shit!" the girl said, dropping the device back into her pocket. "It's getting closer!"

She made as though to jump out the window, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. She spun around to glare at the orange-haired teenager who was looking at her with an almost eager look in his eyes. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked icily.

Having finally caught her attention, Ichigo released her shoulder. "Well, seeing as you just oh-so-rudely barged into my room, I think I'm entitled to some answers. Like I said, I know that you're a spirit. But you're different. You _feel_ different. Your presence isn't like the other spirits I've encountered before, and trust me, I've met with a _lot_ of spirits. Who, no, _what_ the hell are you?"

She almost gasped at that. Stuttering once more, she said, "You- you can _feel_ the difference? A _presence_, you described it as. You can feel it already? Impossible. There's no way a normal human, spiritually aware or not, could possibly distinguish between a plus soul and a shini-"

The howl tore through the air again, cutting off the girl's rambling, and this time it was right outside Ichigo's window. "Shit!" she swore again. "There's no time! If you're this spiritually aware, then the hollow is probably after you! I'll explain later!" With this she leapt out of the window, leaving Ichigo to run this last information through his head.

_Shini-? Something to do with death, probably. Wait. She said that this 'hollow', whatever that is, is after me because I can see spirits? Shit! _A sudden sense of panic tore through him as he remembered his sisters slumbering peacefully in the next room. _If this thing, whatever just howled, is after me, then my family is in danger too!_

Ichigo raced downstairs, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to wake his sisters or his father. _Ha, fat chance of that_, his genius brain mused. _Old goat-chin can sleep through a thunderstorm, even if it were hovering right above his head!_

Bursting out the front door of the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo's eyes were met with a sight that caused him to freeze in disbelief. In front of him stood the largest, most grotesque creature he'd ever seen in his entire life. The still rational part of his genius brain mused interestedly, _So that's a hollow, huh. It's probably another spiritual entity, similar yet different to the 'shini-whatver' that girl mentioned before_.

Aforementioned girl was standing before the hollow, katana drawn, in a fighting stance. _Hmm. Looks as though she's going to fight it. _He watched as the girl leapt into the air, higher than any human or normal spirit could possibly jump. She swung the katana in a downward arc, clearly aiming for the white bone-like mask covering the hollow's face.

The hollow's arm began swinging up towards the descending girl and Ichigo instantly determined whether it would hit her or not. _With a downward acceleration of 10 meters/second/second, that puts her velocity at approximately 20 meters/second after three seconds into the downward trajectory. The arm is moving upward at a constant velocity of 13.6 meters/second. With a distance of 5 meters between her and the mask, and only 3 meters between her and the arm, she's not going to be able to strike before the arm hits her!_

With this realization in mind, Ichigo dashed forward, somehow covering the large distance between himself and the hollow in an instant. With no time to wonder how exactly he had managed to pull off such a feat, Ichigo lunged into a flying kick, heel aimed directly at the hollow's "knee".

As he flew forward, Ichigo felt a strange rushing sensation in his body as an incredible feeling of power flowed through him, concentrated at his right heel. His foot connected with the hollow with an audible CRACK as Ichigo felt the monster's knee–_ hmm, so hollows have bones. Interesting_ –shatter beneath his heel.

Howling in pain, the monster dropped its arm in an attempt to swat Ichigo away from itself. In this lapse of concentration, the girl sliced her katana down the length of the hollow's mask. Ichigo watched in astonishment as the hollow dissolved into particles that seemed to blow away in the wind.

Suddenly, his body felt extremely fatigued, as if he had just run a marathon. Ichigo dropped to the ground and gasped for breath, struggling to stay conscious.

The girl walked towards him, her violet eyes expressing the impressed emotion she no doubt was feeling at the moment. "How did you do that? No normal human could have physically harmed a hollow." She paused, thinking, until she finally lit upon the answer to her question. "That kick! You reinforced and strengthened your kick with _reiatsu!_ So that's how you were able to break its leg so easily. But where did you learn to do that?"

Ichigo, finally having caught his breath but still feeling very drained, sat up. He was about to demand an explanation for everything that he had just experienced when another, much stronger presence forced him back on to the ground. _What is this pressure! I feel like I'm suffocating, drowning on this immense spiritual force!_

He turned, still struggling for breath, and completely stopped breathing as he caught sight of another hollow, this one considerably larger than the first, looming over him. He heard the girl shout in panic behind him, "Shit! It was concealing its presence!"

Ichigo closed his eyes as the monster's enormous jaws approached him. Lack of oxygen was causing his brain to begin to shut down, and the only thought that ran through his mind as his eyes shut was _Yuzu, Karin, Goat-chin. I'm sorry._

The sickening sound of rending flesh ripped through the night as blood spurted in arcs through the air.

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Holy crap! Only a day after I posted the prologue for this story and I already have three reviews! I'm absolutely astounded at this reception.

Thank you to **Martyna1**, **Aletheya**_**, **_and **heavenlyXblueXangel** for reviewing my story. And thanks to **CrimsonChains**, **Sagemode90, KrAzl JaY, Aletheya, peach77, Smckdwn823, Andrew136, daragon10, UNTensaZangetsu, Heero Yuy009, Poofa, **and **jsolo666** for adding this story to their story alerts/favorites list. WOW! I'm so glad that you guys liked it. In celebration of this great reception, here's a way-early chapter update. I hope you guys enjoy!

**heavenlyXblueXangel**: So far, in terms of intellect Ichigo is on par, if not smarter, than both Urahara and Aizen. However, as his shinigami powers awaken, he will not only have a genius intellect at his service but also the sort of genius that allowed Ichimaru Gin and Hitsugaya Toushiro to pass out of the Shinigami Academy in record time. But that will all be revealed in due time :)

Again, thank you all for reviewing and reading my story! If I reach 10 reviews before my final exams, I will award you all with another early chapter! (Final exams are this Friday and run through next Tuesday). Until next time!

~fokker333


	3. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

Ichigo opened his eyes cautiously, having not felt the pain one generally associates with having one's body crushed between two large rows of teeth. He could hear gasps of pain over his own labored breaths, and the dripping of blood on the pavement. He looked up and caught his breath. The spirit girl had put her body between him and the hollow, taking the hollow's attack.

The hollow howled, in frustration when it realized that it had not eaten its intended prey, and in pain at the katana that had been wedged in its mouth. It tossed its head, and the girl caught between its teeth flew through the air, hitting a telephone pole with a sickening _crunch_.

Tossing its head, temporarily blinded by rage, the hollow turned its attention away from Ichigo and the girl, instead focusing on healing its wounds. Ichigo took note of this ability out of the corner of his eye as he raced to the girl, who was slumped against the telephone pole, unmoving.

_High-speed regeneration? What other abilities do these 'hollows' have that I don't know about?_

He shook his head; his priority was on the girl, not the hollow. Ichigo looked over the girls condition. It was worse than he had expected. The hollow's teeth had dug into her flesh, with a ring of cuts starting from her right shoulder and stopping near the waist of her left side.

He crouched down next to the girl, idly thinking that despite him having already told her his own name, he did not yet know hers.

He gently lifted the shihakusho off her shoulder in order to get a better view of the injuries. He had read about treating such wounds, but such reading was only theoretical at best.

The girl stirred, and Ichigo was instantly alert. Watching the enraged hollow out of the corner of his eye, he turned to the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked, urgency coloring his voice.

The girl coughed, blood splattering the front of Ichigo's shirt. She shook her head and spoke, the words slipping through her gritted teeth. "I'm sorry. I- I wasn't able to protect you… I have failed in my duties as a shinigami."

_Shinigami, huh. A god of death. So that's what this strange spirit is, and why her spiritual presence is so different from normal, she called them 'plus' spirits._

Seeing that she was about to slip into unconsciousness, Ichigo shook the girl roughly, accidentally jarring her shoulder, causing her to hiss in pain. "Sorry about that, but the hollow is still alive and angry. And like hell am I going to let this ugly-ass monster hurt my family."

"Do you wish to protect your family, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Of course I do, is there a way that I can do so?"

The hollow, having healed all its wounds, now turned its attention to Ichigo and the girl sitting on the ground.

"There is a way, but it's risky."

"If it's the only way, then I'll do it, no matter what the cost."

"Then take my sword and plunge it into your heart. I will-"

"Transfer some of your shinigami powers into me, allowing me to gain said powers and be able to fend off these hollows? Of course."

The girl looked at him wide-eyed, astounded that he had been able to figure out her plan so easily.

Ichigo chuckled, laying a hand flat on the girl's head. "Hey, don't worry about it. I can things like these out easily. I am a genius, after all."

_Wait. What the hell? He had just up and told this unnamed 'shinigami' girl that he was genius, despite only having met her a few minutes ago. He had spilled his most precious secret, the secret that he had kept from even his family all his life. _

Ichigo mentally shook his head. _It must be the strangeness of this whole situation that's causing me to lose my rationality. But who cares, as long as I can protect my family?_

Nodding at the girl, he took the blade of the katana into his hands, pressing the tip into his chest. "Ready when you are, shinigami."

Her hands tightened around the grip of the katana, and she spoke. "It's not 'shinigami.' It's… Kuchiki Rukia."

The blade of the katana slid into Ichigo's heart, and he felt a burst of power unlike anything he had ever experienced before, including his reiatsu-infused kick he had delivered to the first hollow. With a deafening _whoosh_, the dust on the ground was kicked up as his spiritual energy as it swirled around him, bluish-white in color.

He felt a something forming in the palm of his right hand, and he closed it instinctively, feeling the smooth handle of a sword beneath his fingers. Ichigo swung the massive, newly-formed sword in his hand and the cloud of energy and dust dissipated instantly. There he stood, clad in a shihakusho similar to that of the girl's, holding a massive six-foot long blade in his hands.

The blade he held was similar in shape and form to a katana, the grip and hilt the same as the girl's. However, the blade was broad and long, as wide as his hand and taller than he was.

Ichigo frowned at the size of the blade. _It's a bit unwieldy, and its size is going to make it a little hard to fight with. _He felt the spiritual power rushing out of his body, but he never felt a little bit drained like he had after his kick. _All this power leaking into the living world can't be good_. Without really knowing what he was doing or how he was doing it, Ichigo clamped down on his spiritual power- _reiatsu_, he reminded himself -and the blade immediately shrank down into a normal-sized katana, which felt uncannily comfortable in his hand.

The hollow screamed at Ichigo and charged him. Jaws stretched wide, it slammed into the ground, only to find that his mouth had closed on nothing but the pavement beneath. Ichigo had vanished from his spot with a soft swishing sound, appearing in the air behind the hollow. With a great cry, he swung the blade down, cleaving straight through the top of the hollow's mask. Howling, the hollow dissolved into dust like its predecessor.

Frowning at Ichigo, the girl, Kuchiki Rukia, said, "That was amazing! I've never seen someone with such natural aptitude as you before. You just became a shinigami, and yet you already know how to flash-step?"

_Ah. So 'flash-stepping' is what I was doing before to almost instantly appear behind the hollow, both with the first one when I kicked it, and the second one when I leapt out of the way._

Flash-stepping in front of Rukia, who looked up at him wide-eyed as she clutched her injured shoulder in pain, Ichigo knelt down in front of her. "Here, let me heal those wounds."

"What- but you can't! You don't know how to…" Her voice trailed off as she noticed the telltale green glow of healing kidou emanating from Ichigo's palm, which he was now moving down the ring of teeth marks on her side. Her breath caught as she noticed how quickly the wounds were healing. "How are you healing me so quickly? That's impossible! Even faster than Unohana-taicho-"

Ichigo cut her off with a wave of his free hand. _I figured as much. Healing is simply a matter of concentrating your reiatsu in your hand and then pouring it into the patient, using it to fix the damage. _He smirked at Rukia and said, "Relax, I know what I'm doing. Granted, being a genius helps quite a bit. But healing you, it just feels _right_. I don't really know how to explain it."

_There I go again, spilling my secrets to this girl. At least now I know her name_.

Rukia stared up at Ichigo. "A genius? So that means-"

Ichigo cut her off once again as he placed a palm against her forehead. Sending a pulse of reiatsu into her brain, he shut down the nerve endings which controlled consciousness. _That felt uncannily natural as well, it was as though my hand knew exactly where to send the reiatsu to knock her out_. _Whatever, I'll think about that later._ Picking Rukia up bridal-style, he jumped up to his bedroom window.

He could feel the spirit particles in the air, and Ichigo instinctively solidified them beneath his feet. Effectively walking on the air, Ichigo smirked. _Well, this is an interesting ability to have._ Entering his bedroom through the open window, he gently set Rukia on his bed and sat back in his chair. Lacing his fingers together under his chin, he began to think.

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HELLO EVERYONE! Wow, we reached 10 reviews so quickly! Actually, I was kind of hoping that we _wouldn't_ hit 10 reviews, that way I wouldn't have to update a new chapter every single day, but I simply can't NOT update after the reception this story received. I have over twenty subscribers! This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, which, trust me, is quite a nice feeling. You should try it sometimes.

Thank you to **Reader0818, TATSUKIxICHIGO, Eradona** (squeal, I love your story), **blackmonkey12, DaughterOfKronosBleachFan8234, otogii, hhflyka, Martyna1, blueorgray1236, LAWLS117, Little White Comet, Thornspike, Dark-Shadow-Foot,** **Tango Dancer, **and **Dark Dragen** for adding this story to their story alert/favorite stories list! I'm so glad you guys have decided to join the ride!

Also thank you to **Eradona, RimzthenonforgiveR, Martyna1, LAWLS117, heavenlyXblueXangel, Tango Dancer **and **Dark Dragen** for reviewing. Again, I'm so happy you guys enjoyed this story.

Well, I guess I had better set my standards higher then if I want time to study for my final exams haha. Even though I can still write a chapter and have time to study… Anyways, another early update for you guys if we reach 25 reviews! If not, then you'll have to wait until next week. MUAHAHAHAHA. Although the way this story is going I wouldn't be surprised if I were to update every day on my own volition, and wouldn't that be nice for you guys?

Anyways, until next time!

~fokker333


	4. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

~Rukia's POV~

Rukia awoke to the sound of sirens outside. Next to the bed, Ichigo jerked from his chair. "Crap! I left my body outside!" He leapt through the window- _that seems to be happening a lot lately_ -and Rukia followed. Landing on the ground, she noticed a crater where presumably the second hollow had smashed against the ground in an attempt to eat Ichigo. She was greeted by the sight of an ambulance, lights flashing, while bystanders gathered around, whispering.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, I found this kid just lying on the ground, it looks like he's been there a while."

"Oh dear, I wonder what happened. He doesn't seem injured, so it couldn't have been a fight."

"Maybe he had a heart attack, but he doesn't seem to be the type."

"Look at the color of his hair!"

Beside her, Ichigo groaned under his breath. The paramedics from the ambulance were prepping an AED. One of them shouted, "Clear!" and shocked Ichigo's body. Nothing happened.

_Obviously, _she thought. _The body isn't going to do anything if his soul isn't in it._

As the paramedics prepared for another charge from the AED, Ichigo slipped into his body. Making a huge show of gasping for breath, as if just revived from catatonia, he jerked upright. Rukia leaned forward, interested in how Ichigo was going to explain this situation to the paramedics and the surrounding people.

One of the paramedics gently pushed a struggling Ichigo down, insisting that he take it easy, he was still recovering, or some such nonsense.

Insisting he was fine, Ichigo got to his feet, brushing the dust off the front of his shirt, which bore the number 15, Rukia noted to her amusement. Then, the questions began.

~Ichigo's POV~

"Look, I told you, I'm fine. I was tired as I was walking home, and I guess I just fell asleep on the ground in front of my house."

"If you were just asleep, how come you had no heartbeat? We had to shock your heart to get you back."

_I hate authorities. They make things so inconvenient. I always have to explain my way out of unexplainable situations. Like this one._

"I don't know why my heart stopped beating. Maybe it's a medical condition that you've never heard of before. Or maybe I'm wearing a bullet-proof vest under my shirt, which is a steel plate covered in Kevlar fabric. I doubt you would have been able to hear a heartbeat over _that_."

Seeing Rukia reach into her shihakusho, presumably for the memory modifier which he was sure that strange device from earlier was, he quickly distracted the paramedics and the bystanders.

Pasting a goofy look on his face, he pointed dramatically into the distance. "Look! It's Jason Segal!"

Almost in unison, everyone's heads turned to look at where his finger pointed. A _poof_ accompanied by a bright purple cloud of smoke covered the entire crowd. Under the cover of the smoke, Ichigo slipped quietly into his house, Rukia following close behind.

Looking around in confusion, the crowd slowly dispersed, the civilians wondering why they had been grouped together and the paramedics looking at the AED in their hands in utter confusion.

Shutting the door behind him, Ichigo turned to Rukia. "Let's go into my room, we can explain everything there."

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After a lengthy explanation from Rukia about shinigami, Soul Society, and hollows, Ichigo sat in his chair, fingers laced under his chin. "Okay, so let me get this straight. When people die, their souls leave their bodies. They are attached to the physical world by the Chain of Fate. You shinigami, who are spirits that have high spiritual power, regulate the flow of souls between the physical world and the afterlife, which is called Soul Society. You send the so-called 'plus souls' to Soul Society by a method called _konso_, in which you plant the hilts of your swords, called _zanpakuto_, on the foreheads of the souls. If a plus soul stays in the physical world for too long, their Chain of Fate begins to erode. When it erodes completely, they turn into hollows, which are basically souls turned bad. One of the shinigami's duties is to purify these hollows and send them to Soul Society.

"In Soul Society, the shinigami belong to a military organization called the _Gotei 13_, which are divided into thirteen divisions, each led by a captain. These captains are the strongest of all the shinigami, having achieved the ultimate form of their zanpakuto, called _bankai_. The initial release form is _shikai_, which most vice-captains and seated officers have achieved. You are an unseated member of the thirteenth division, led by Captain Ukitake Jushiro, and you were sent into the living world to watch over Karakura Town, which has a high spiritual concentration. Did I get that right?"

Gaping at him, Rukia asked, "How the heck did you remember all of that? And you're just accepting it? I'm sure that for a human like you this entire story would be at least a bit unbelievable!"

Frowning at her, Ichigo replied, "I'm a genius, remember? Now I'm sure that you're a perceptive girl, and I did tell you that I was a genius earlier, so I'm assuming that the reason you've apparently forgotten this important fact is that you've been through quite a bit in the last few hours."

"A genius, you said. Exactly how much of a genius?"

"I have an unconfirmed IQ of over 200. I'm not sure how you shinigami measure intelligence in Soul Society, but the average human has an IQ of around 100. To have an IQ of 125 is considered very high above average, and the most famous scientists in this world have an IQ of around 150. Therefore, I am leaps and bounds ahead of even those people."

He smirked in amusement as Rukia's jaw hit the floor at this revelation. Once again sputtering, she said, "But- but how are you just living like this if you're such a genius? Surely with your abilities you could do better than living with your family in a family-run clinic?:

Ichigo snorted. "As if. I've kept my genius a secret from everyone ever since it surfaced when I was nine. Not even _oyaji _and my sisters know. You're the first I've told this to, and even now I'm not entirely sure why I told you. It just kind of slipped out, which is strange since over the years I've gotten very good at keeping my intellect a secret.

"Anyways, my situation aside, let's talk about yours. This Captain-Commander of yours, Yamamoto, sounds like a very strict person, and your government, the Central 46, even more so. Considering one of the first rules of being a shinigami is not to interfere with the affairs of the living, I'm assuming that by giving your powers to me, a human, you've broken at least one, if not several, of Soul Society's laws. I'm not sure how the Central 46 deals out punishment for offenses like these, but I'm sure that for breaking such an important rule it's going to be rather… severe."

Ichigo watched as Rukia's facial expression instantly darkened. "You're right," she muttered. Standing up off his bed, she began pacing. "Giving my powers to a human is considered a capital offense, treason. And the punishment for traitors is execution."

Ichigo nodded. "That's what I suspected. Despite being spiritually aware and already having some knowledge, however rudimentary, of the afterlife, I am still human and so the situation doe not change. However, I have come up with a temporary solution, one that can extend the period in which you can live in the living world without Soul Society finding out that you've lost your powers. However, this plan depends very much on protocol for shinigami in the living world. How often do shinigami send reports back to Soul Society?"

Rukia shrugged. "It depends from division to division mostly, along with their captains. Divisions like the 2nd division, whose captain is the head of the _Onmitsukidou_, the secret mobile corps, will usually investigate when a subordinate has not reported back to Soul Society in over a week. However, divisions like the 13th, which I am in, are much more lax about such matters. At any rate, since we lack a vice-captain and Ukitake-taicho is often ill, paperwork gets backed up rather easily and such reports can easily be lost in the backlog."

Nodding in satisfaction, Ichigo smiled. It was the smile of a very smart man with a very clever plan, and it made Rukia's spine tingle. He laughed inwardly. _There's nothing quite like the feeling of a perfect plan working to perfection_. "Very well. Then here's the plan: since you have lost your shinigami powers and thus cannot continue to carry out your duties, I will take them over for you, as a shinigami substitute, if you will. Meanwhile, as a precaution you should still send regular reports back to Soul Society. I don't want to take any chances that someone is sent to investigate. We will do this until you are ordered to return to Soul Society. Unfortunately, as we have no way of knowing when your powers will return, our actions when this event occurs will vary. At worst, by that time Soul Society orders you to return, your powers will not have returned. In which case, we will have to fake your death in order for you to stay in the living world."

Rukia was dumbstruck. "Fake my own death? How exactly do you plan to do that?"

Ichigo laughed, his scowl smoothing and vanishing from her face. "Ah, Rukia, Rukia." He savored the name rolling off his tongue. _Wait. Where the hell did THAT come from?_ He ignored the feeling and continued. "You forgot. I'm a genius, remember? As I become more familiar with the duties of a shinigami, I'll figure something out. I'm sure that there's a way to lure a bunch of hollows in to one place, and we can use that to pretend that you were overwhelmed and killed. It's not the most pretty solution, but it's still better than you being dragged back to Soul Society and executed, no doubt in a highly painful manner."

There was an uncomfortable silence as Rukia took in that fact. Both their faces were solemn as the seriousness of the situation they were in sank in. Suddenly, Rukia jumped up and said, "Hang on a minute. Why did I pass out? The last thing I remember before waking up in your bed was you using healing kidou to heal my wounds."

She pulled aside the edge of the white garment she was wearing and stared at the flawless, unmarked skin on her shoulder. She looked up incredulously. "You _completely_ healed it? Leaving no scarring whatsoever? That's not possible."

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Ichigo waved his hand dismissingly. "Oh, psht. That was nothing. I came to the logical conclusion that in order to heal spiritual injuries, one must pump spiritual energy into the wound. So I did so."

Rukia blinked. "But to heal an injury of that severity would have required an immense amount of reiatsu, even more so to even heal over the scarring. I don't think even Unohana-taicho, the captain of the Fourth Division and head healer, could have been able to do that!"

Ichigo laughed. He said in a flippant voice, "Well then, I suppose that makes me stronger than a captain then!"

Rukia glared. "Don't joke around! Captains are the strongest of all the shinigami in Soul Society, and Unohana-taicho is one of the oldest and most experienced captains around."

"Oh, take that look off your face. I'm not hear to discuss the finer points of what I can or cannot do as a shinigami substitute, or the extent of my power."

Rukia relaxed. "Very well, I suppose. But you haven't answered the first question. Why did I pass out?"

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, looking mildly sheepish. "Oh, that. Well, I just send a pulse of reiatsu into your brain, targeting the nerves controlling consciousness. I shut them down temporarily, causing you to pass out for a short time."

Rukia was furious. "You _WHAT_? Do you know what could have happened if that had went wrong? You could have accidentally shut down my entire brain and caused me to go into a coma!"

As Ichigo looked at her with a raised eyebrow, she sighed. "Oh, right. Genius. I get it. You know, I don't think even Ichimaru-taicho or Hitsugaya-taicho, whom we hail as geniuses ourselves, could have possibly instinctively done that the same day they became shinigami. And they went through the Academy and were trained. You really are an unusual person, Kurosaki Ichigo. Do you realize that what you did was actually a mid-level binding kidou?"

"Yeah, I figured. After all, kidou is simply taking one's reiatsu, and manipulating it to make it do what you want, then releasing it. Am I right?

"Well, there are some finer points to kidou, but that's the basic concept."

Ichigo grinned, and Rukia smiled back at him. _I really like it when she smiles_. What the hell? Another unbidden, awkward thought rose to the top of his mind. _She is quite attractive, albeit a bit short_. Clearing his mind again, he stood and walked up to Rukia, who had been pacing the room.

"Well, if we're done talking about technicalities, I believe that it's time for us to be formally introduced, seeing as we haven't, unless exchanging names at the verge of death is considered formal in Soul Society."

He extended his hand. "Kurosaki Ichigo. Human, and now substitute shinigami. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Rukia returned the gesture. "Kuchiki Rukia. Unseated member of the Thirteenth Division and kidou expert. Nice to meet you."

Their hands clasped in a friendly handshake, and Ichigo felt a strange feeling from the point of contact. It wasn't unpleasant, no. Far from unpleasant, actually. It was as though warmth was flowing from Rukia's hand into his, spreading throughout his entire body. _Interesting phenomenon. I wonder if this is another type of kidou she didn't tell me about_? Considering his thought, Ichigo kept holding onto Rukia's hand.

"Erm, Ichigo? You can let go of my hand now," Rukia whispered.

Releasing her hand, Ichigo chuckled sheepishly. "Ah, sorry about that. I was thinking. I do that quite a bit, you see." Looking down at Rukia's face, he noticed a distinctive red tinge to her cheeks. _Hm. Face hot and flushed, eyes bright_. He laid a hand gently on her cheek, causing her to blush even further. _Elevated heart rate, increased body temperature. All symptoms appearing immediately after consensual physical contact with me. These look like classic symptoms of-_

Frowning down at the blushing girl, Ichigo said with concern, "Rukia…"

Rukia stammered back at him, face still bright red. "Yes, Ichigo?'

"…Do you have a fever?"

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Wow. Just wow. Over thirty reviews and over fifty subscribers. I'm completely and absolutely overwhelmed by the reception this story is getting. I'm afraid that at this rate I'm not going to be able to individually thank all the people who have subscribed/favorited/reviewed this story in the Author's Note, so I apologize for that.

Unfortunately, this is going to be the last daily update of this story for about a week. My final exams start tomorrow (Friday) and I am going to take the entire weekend to prepare. As a rising third-year high school student, I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to consider college, and colleges are starting to consider me. Therefore, I'm sorry to say that my studies and academics take priority over this story. But not to worry! My exams end next Tuesday, and I have Wednesday off before returning to school. Therefore, on Wednesday you can all expect an extra long chapter, in celebration of being finished with exams! Unless of course I actually fail them and my parents (I'm Asian, mind you) decide to smash my computer and lock me in my room for a day or so. Not to worry, though. I will continue my updates once my academic obligations are lighter, which should be in the middle of next week.

At any rate, I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading, reviewing, and subscribing/favoriting this story. When I first posted this story four days ago, I definitely did not expect this mind-blowing reception. So thank you all, and I will see you guys next week!

Until next time!

~fokker333


	5. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

Roughly batting Ichigo's hand away from her cheek, Rukia flushed scarlet. "N-no!" she blurted out.

Ichigo raised a critical eyebrow. "Are you sure? You were displaying all the typical signs of a fever."

Rukia huffed, the red finally leaving her face somewhat. "I'm a soul. We don't get sick with human diseases. We're not that frail, you know."

Ichigo made note of this interesting tidbit, storing it in the back of his mind for future reference. "Whatever. It's getting late, we should get to sleep. Tomorrow morning is Saturday, so I don't have school. We can go arrange your transfer papers to Karakura High, and make up some excuse about why you're here. People will get suspicious if some random girl (no offense) just suddenly shows up and starts taking classes."

Rukia was about to reply but was cut off by a massive yawn. "Hmm, you're right. I am tired." Ichigo sweat-dropped at this statement. _Are you serious? She realized this just now? I guess it would make sense if her body were running on leftover adrenaline from facing the hollows… Wait. Do souls even produce adrenaline? Along with any other of the chemicals the normal human body produces? I should look into this._

Snapping out of his thought, Ichigo caught Rukia's last few words. "…take over your closet then."

Turning slowly to face Rukia, who was now inspecting the inside of Ichigo's closet, he said in a deadpan, "What."

Rukia continued her inspection and replied without missing a beat. "I said, for sleeping arrangements I'll just take over your closet then. If we stuff this with futons the size will be perfect, if my gigai is well-made and proportional."

_Gigai… false body? So that's how shinigami operate in the real world._

Rukia continued, "I'll have you know that from now on, 6:30-7:00 in the morning on school days is known as 'Rukia owns the bathroom time'."

That comment caught Ichigo's attention. _Wait. Shit. She's a girl. All logic and common sense dictates that a teenage male should not be sharing a room with a teenage female. Well, granted she is probably a century and then some older than me, and I am not one to let myself be ruled by my hormones, but still! _

About to point out this fact, Ichigo stopped himself, seeing Rukia climb into his closet and shut the door behind her, having finished arranging it to her liking. "Goodnight, Strawberry."

Ichigo sighed. _Whatever, it's way too late to worry about things like this. _Crawling into his bed and flipping off the lamps, he said to the darkness, "Goodnight, Rukia."

There was no reply. Ichigo stared up at the ceiling for a minute, then something Rukia said clicked in his mind, and he shot up off the bed. "Oi! My name means 'one who protects', not 'strawberry'!" Not even a muffled giggle sounded from inside the closet.

_Wow, she really must be tired. Not surprising after all that she's been through today. I suspect some of that fatigue probably comes from her spiritual power draining away after she gave them to me. _

Ichigo gave a soft laugh. Smiling, he thought with a bit of irony, _Well, I guess fate is determined that my life be as abnormal as possible, huh?_ With this thought, he drifted off to sleep.

#

"GOOD MORNING, ICHIGO!"

Ichigo shot off the bed, narrowly avoiding Isshin's flying tackle. From the corner of his eye, he saw the closet door open and Rukia silently slipped out of his bedroom.

"Ohh! Ichigo dodged daddy's Super-Powered Flying Tackle! But I'm not done yet, don't let your guard down!"

Rushing again at Ichigo, this time with leg outstretched in preparation for a kick, he immediately had his face squished in to the throw rug on Ichigo's floor.

_Whoops, I accidentally flash-stepped there to get behind him_, Ichigo thought idly to himself, his foot on the back of his father's head. _I wonder, is that technically possible in my human body? I suppose theoretically it is, since what I just did was basically use some reiatsu to propel myself through the air_.

"Oi, goat-chin. When are you gonna stop attacking me in the morning?"

"Ooh, Ichigo! Your fighting skills have improved since the last time I attacked you!"

A tick appeared on Ichigo's forehead, and shouted at Isshin, "You idiot! The last time you attacked me was yesterday morning! How the hell could I possibly have improved overnight?"

_Oh wait, _Ichigo thought with a hint of sarcasm. _That's right. I became a shinigami. Well, there goes everything normal in my life. First, spirits. Then, genius. Now, I have to take over the job of purifying souls in Karakura Town. _

Exasperated, Ichigo pressed his foot harder into the back of his father's head. "Whatever. I'm going out after breakfast. There are a few things I have to arrange."

From his spot on the floor, Isshin cried out, "What's this? Are you meeting with a girl?" Throwing off Ichigo's foot, he rushed to the window, flung it open and shouted, "MY SON HAS FINALLY BECOME A MAN!"

He was finally silenced as Ichigo threw a straight-fingered jab into his solar plexus. "Hardly," he scoffed, all the while thinking _you have no idea how right you are_. He muttered under his breath while leaving the room, "Jeez, no wonder my life is so abnormal with _him_ as a father…"

#

After a quick breakfast, Ichigo bid goodbye to Karin and Yuzu, ducked another flying kick from goat-chin, and left the house. He found Rukia waiting for him outside the house, foot tapping impatiently. "Finally!" she said in exasperation. "Geez, what took you so long?"

Ichigo scoffed. "I had to deal with my idiot father and my little sister, who insisted that I sit down for a full breakfast before leaving."

"Your father? So that's what that noise was all about, huh?"

"…so you heard? Sorry about that, my dad's an idiot. So, you need to get a gigai first, and then we need to go figure out your papers for the transfer. I've already thought of a cover story. You're a distant relative of mine, your parents are dead and you've been taken in by your brother-in-law, who married your older sister. Unfortunately, she died as well when you were very young. Your brother is an important figure in a large company, so he travels a lot and has little time to take care of you. As a result, you're now here in Karakura, living with us for the time being."

Rukia was silent after hearing Ichigo's words. _Perhaps they struck a bit too close to home_, Ichigo thought. Aloud he said, "I'm sorry if it was too personal, it's pretty close to the truth, isn't it?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Rukia asked in a whisper, "Yes, that's true. But how could you possibly know? I didn't tell you anything about my past…"

Ichigo smiled, a genuine smile this time, instead of his usual smirk. He laid a comforting hand on Rukia's shoulder. "I'm a genius, remember?" he said softly, gently. "I pieced it together after hearing you muttering in your sleep last night. You said 'nii-sama,' and 'Hisana'. The respectful tone of addressing your elder brother implied that he is in a position of great importance. The way you said 'Hisana' implied a closer relationship than the one conveyed through 'nii-sama,' so I assumed that Hisana is your blood relation, whereas 'nii-sama' is probably an in-law, most likely having married your sister. I just made up the part about your parents and sister's death, but judging from your reaction, that was probably close to the truth as well."

Ichigo leaned forward so that their faces were only inches apart. "I'm sorry about what happened to your parents and sister, Rukia. My mother died when I was young also, so I know how it feels." _Of course, there's a lot more to that story, but I'm not sure I'll be able to talk about it just yet. I've only just come out of my shell recently._

Rukia took a breath, then released it. "It's fine. My parents died when I was only a baby, and my sister abandoned me when I was little older." Seeing Ichigo's gaze turn from gentle to angry, she hastily amended, "It was because she was constantly ill and couldn't support both of us in the Rukongai. It was the only option she could take, and so she took it. She got married to Kuchiki Byakuya, who is the head of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the four Noble Families of Seireitei. I was told that I was adopted because I look a lot like her…" She trailed off, lost in her memories.

They stood together outside the Kurosaki Clinic in a comfortable silence. After a few minutes Ichigo breathed out and said, "Well, let's go get your gigai, and then we can work out those papers. Do you know where to go to get one?"

_If there's a vendor for shinigami goods around here, it may be useful to have access to them. _

Rukia began walking. "Of course. However, considering that I am technically a fugitive from Soul Society, I can hardly go to the Twelfth Division for a gigai, now can I? The person I have in mind is a… well, I suppose I'll let you figure it out for yourself. Shouldn't be too hard, with that genius brain of yours."

_Did she just tease me? That's… new. _Ichigo followed her. "Oh yeah, Rukia," he called.

"What?" she asked over her shoulder, not slowing her pace.

"I'm gonna need a way to get out of my body. Do you think this contact of yours can supply something like that?"

"I can't guarantee anything, but he probably will. We can get you a _gikongan_, an artificial soul, to inhabit your body when you're in shinigami form."

Ichigo blinked. "They have stuff like that? Artificial souls? Isn't that a bit inhumane? I mean, you're all just souls yourselves, so it's a bit like creating a person, isn't it? Aren't there any laws against that? I know in the human world there are a ton of ethics issues over things like cloning and stem cell research and stuff like that." _Not to mention I've been doing my own research, which isn't necessarily legal, but nobody needs to know that_.

Rukia slowed her pace, and Ichigo caught up until the two of them were walking shoulder to shoulder. "When we get there, you'll see."

Ichigo saw that she wasn't in the mood for words at the moment, and decided not to press the issue any further.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached a shabby-looking house with the sign reading _Urahara Shouten_ in faded letters hanging above the door. _Wow. This place is at least a hundred years old. It's impressive that it's still standing after all these years. _

Ichigo watched as Rukia marched to the front door and knocked politely. After a few moments of waiting, the traditional sliding door opened in a dramatic whoosh, startling both Ichigo and Rukia."

"WELCOME TO THE URAHARA SHOP!" called a very cheerful-looking man. Ichigo blinked. The man's appearance was odd, to say the least. He was dressed in a dark green shihakusho with a black _haori_ over it and was wearing a green-and-white-striped bucket hat, which covered his sandy blonde hair. He held a traditional folding fan in from of his face, which covered the giant smile that was clearly plastered on his cheeks. He stepped aside and Ichigo noticed that the man was wearing ostentatious two-inch thick wooden sandals. _Geta-boushi_, Ichigo immediately labeled the man.

"Come it, come in! Feel free to take a look around!" said the man, whom Ichigo assumed was Urahara. His eyes narrowed. Something felt off about the shop's spiritual presence, as though there were something really big hidden beneath it.

"Let me get you some tea, I'll be right back. Please, don't hesitate to browse the merchandise. Just don't touch anything, or you may find yourself in immense pain!"

Ichigo sweat-dropped. _What the hell kind of shopkeeper says something like that? It pretty much guarantees that nobody's gonna come back here after a first visit_. Walking cautiously inside, he whispered to Rukia, "Listen. Something feels off about this place. I don't trust him."

Rukia calmly entered the building, sliding the door shut behind her. "Trust him or not, he's our only hope to get a gigai, as well as a way for you to get out of your body. Deal with it for now."

"I know, I came to that conclusion a while ago," Ichigo muttered, glancing around at the shelves. They were filled with assorted candies and snacks, like you would see in a usual grocery store. There were also stranger objects, like a single glove with a flame and skull pattern on the back. "I just don't want something to happen to you."

Seeing Rukia about to retort, he hastily amended, "I don't mean to imply that you're weak, but in your current state there isn't anything you can do if something goes wrong. You probably can't even use kidou right now, right? Which means you can't to jack in a fight. I'm responsible for your well-being, and like hell am I gonna let you get hurt under my watch."

Smirking slightly, Rukia nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "So, the Strawberry has overprotective tendencies, huh? I guess it's natural, since you have two younger sisters, but it's still pretty funny. The genius, concerned about a little girl's wellbeing."

A tic appeared on Ichigo's forehead, but he managed not to shout at her in the middle of the shop. The strange man returned with steaming cups of tea, the huge grin still plastered on his face. "Now, young man, young lady, I hear you've been looking for some 'specialty goods', am I right?" A black cat leapt onto his shoulders and curled around his neck.

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he looked at the cat. Its reiatsu was strange, not quite what he expected from a cat. It stared back at him with its golden eyes, and Ichigo got the feeling that it was a lot smarter than it looks.

_That's definitely not a normal cat_, Ichigo thought. He let his senses branch out even further, combing the insides of the shop. _Other than geta-boushi and the strange cat… a man and two kids. _Ichigo snapped his attention back to geta-boushi, who was talking with Rukia about gigai.

"It just so happens to be your lucky day. I have a few gigai in stock, and I'll be happy to give you one for free!" The man said cheerfully, fanning himself. "I'll be right back!"

He walked out of the room again, and Ichigo stared as he returned with a body slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It was Rukia. _Interesting. So the gigai are tailor-made to fit the shinigami who's using it. But how did he get the gigai to look like her so quickly?_

He watched as Rukia poked and prodded her gigai, apparently examining for flaws. _What the hell. There are so many things wrong with this scene right now. She's poking her own BODY for kami's sake!_

Apparently satisfied, Rukia stopped her examination. "This shall do." Entering the gigai, she stretched, popping her neck loudly. "I've always hated getting into gigai…" she grumbled.

Ichigo felt a poke on the side of his head, and he turned irritably to find geta-boushi prodding him with his fan, which was now folded up. Turning a withering glare on the shopkeeper, Ichigo asked, "What are you doing?"

Grinning, the man snapped open his fan again, hiding his face. "Don't worry, don't worry. I was just curious. _You're_ human still, but you have lots of reiatsu." He looked at Rukia, who was now examining the glove he had seen earlier. "I see," the man said softly, tapping the side of his nose knowingly. "So. A shinigami substitute, eh?"

Ichigo was mildly taken aback by the quick deduction the man had made at his identity, but hid it behind his usual scowl. _Proper etiquette dictates that now is the time to introduce myself to this man_. Extending his hand, he said smoothly, "My name is Kurosaki Ichigo. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He watched as the man reacted slightly to his name. It wasn't enough for most people to notice, but Ichigo was a genius. He had spent years reading body language, and the strange shop-keeper's reaction, although very well-hidden, was still evident to Ichigo. _Slight raising of an eyebrow, subtle increase in fanning speed… as well as a slight flare in reiatsu. So it seems that reiatsu can reflect your emotions as well. That could be useful someday. Well, all his reactions indicate that he knows the name. But how? That's the question_.

Gripping his hand in a firm handshake, the man said, "Urahara Kisuke, humble shopkeeper and manager of the Urahara Shouten. It's quite… interesting to meet you, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo and Urahara stayed locked in the handshake as they looked into each other's eyes, trying to figure out the complex personalities behind their respective masks. "Ichigo!"

Said substitute shinigami released Urahara's hand and spun around, only to be smacked in the face by Rukia's open palm. "Rukia, what the hell?" he asked in irritation, then noticed that he was in shinigami form, with his body lying motionless on the floor of the shop. _That's… strange to say the least_, he thought, staring down at his own body.

Looking back at Rukia, he saw that she was wearing the glove with the skull and flame design on the palm. Nodding in satisfaction, Rukia turned to Urahara. "I'll take this glove also. How much will that be?"

Laughing, Urahara waved her away. "Oh, take it, take it. It's free. My compliments. Also, I'll throw in a gikongan for this fascinating young man over here." He gestured at Ichigo, who was now rolling over his body, lifting the eyelids and looking at the eyes.

"But only for this one time, next time, you're going to have to bring money!" Urahara disappeared into the back of the shop again. Ichigo sweat-dropped slightly. _If he had just asked us what we wanted, he wouldn't have made so many trips into the back_. _What's he hiding back there, I wonder?_ Rising from his body, he turned to Rukia. "I have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

Opening the sliding door that Urahara had just exited, he walked quietly down the hallway. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the cat staring at him through golden eyes from a window sill. Ignoring the feeling that the cat was observing what he was doing, he continued forward. Reaching the end of the hall, he saw another sliding door. Reaching slowly out to open his, he was knocked backwards in surprise as the door flew open and Urahara bounced out, looking cheerful as always.

"_Ara_, what's this? Kurosaki-kun, it's not nice to snoop, you know!"

Ichigo suppressed the instinctive reaction to blush and stammer, as one typically does when caught in a lie. "Sorry, Urahara-san. I was looking for the restroom, but I don't know where it is."

Smirking behind his fan, Urahara said, "You passed it already." Walking past Ichigo back up the hall, he touched a spot on the wall and a door sprung into existence.

Ichigo bit back a sharp retort. _Yes, because I'm totally supposed to know that there's a door there._ Instead, he plastered a grateful look onto his face and said, "Thanks, Urahara-san." Stepping into the room, he closed and locked the door behind him and sat down to think.

#

Ichigo back in his body and Rukia in her new gigai, the two of them stood in the principle's office of Karakura High. They were filling out the forms for Rukia's transfer into the school. The vice principle looked at Rukia critically. "Are you sure you're in high school? You look ten years old."

A tic appeared on Rukia's forehead, and she ground out between gritted teeth, "Sir, I am fifteen years old and I have the papers to prove it." Reaching into a bag, she pulled out the forged papers Urahara had given them after he had heard her plan on attending Ichigo's high school.

Examining them closely, the vice-principal heaved a sigh. "Very well," he said with resignation. You will join Kurosaki in class 1-B starting Monday. Kurosaki," he turned to Ichigo. "You are responsible for bringing miss…"

"Kuchiki," Rukia prompted.

"Miss Kuchiki up to speed. I'm sure you don't want Ochi-sensei's wrath, now would you?"

Ichigo winced. His homeroom teacher's anger, generally directed towards Asano Keigo, the school fool, or Chizuru Honsho, the rather _enthusiastic_ class lesbian, was legendary. It was definitely not on Ichigo's to-do list for her to turn it on him. "Yes sir," he replied.

"Very well, you are dismissed. Miss Kuchiki, good luck. I'll see you Monday."

"Thank you, sir," Rukia responded in a sugar-sweet voice. Ichigo winced again. _That damn voice. It's annoying as hell. But at the same time it's pretty funny…_

#

They arrived in front of Ichigo's house, and he turned to Rukia. "Alright," he said to her, "here's the cover story. It's pretty much the same as the one we're using at school, except you're a good friend that I met a long time ago. We're changing this part because my family would know if we had a distant relative. But then again, these days I can't really expect anything from old goat-chin."

He laughed, and Rukia smiled as well. _She looks really pretty when she smiles. Dammit! Where did that one come from? _Pushing away the unbidden thoughts which had brought a slight flush to his face, Ichigo coughed. "Alright, Rukia. Are you ready to meet my family?"

She nodded, a slightly apprehensive look on her face. After all, she had witnessed the way Ichigo's father had greeted him this morning. Her face morphed into an expression of determination, one that Ichigo found extremely suited for her face. "Let's do this," she said.

Ichigo opened the door, calling out, "I'm home!"

"WELCOME HOME, ICHIGO!" Isshin flew through the air in an attempt to tackle Ichigo to the ground, but Ichigo merely sidestepped, allowing him to smash headfirst into the wall next to the door.

Rukia squeaked a little in shock, and Isshin, whose head was buried in the plaster of the wall, immediately turned his attention to her. Leaving a gaping hole in the wall, bits of plaster and dust stuck in his hair, Isshin immediately rounded on Ichigo. "ICHIGO! Who's this lovely young lady you've brought home to us? A girlfriend?"

Flinging open the door that Rukia had shut behind her, Isshin shouted out into the streets, "I'M SO HAPPY! MY SON HAS BROUGHT HOME A GIRL! HE ISN'T GAY AFTER ALL!"

He was cut off by Ichigo's foot colliding with the back of his head. "Oi, old man! How about I introduce you before you jump to conclusions and shout them to the whole world to hear?"

Isshin began sobbing, and as Rukia looked on with concern, he dashed into the dining room. Kneeling beneath the giant poster of Masaki, he bawled, "Oh, Masaki! Our son does not love me! Where did we go wrong?"

Ichigo sighed. Running a hand through his orange hair, he said to Rukia, "Don't worry, he'll snap out of it eventually."

Rukia blinked away her confusion at the whole scene. She turned to Ichigo. "Hey, Ichigo. Who's that woman on the poster?"

Ichigo stiffened. _Shit, she asked about the poster. _After hiding his feelings about his mother's death for years, he didn't think he was ready to talk about it yet. "That's… my mother."

Sensing Ichigo's reluctance, Rukia said gently, "Don't worry, Ichigo. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Relieved, Ichigo breathed, "Thanks."

They looked at each other, one with gratitude and the other with understanding. Their eyes met, and an unspoken promise passed between them.

"_I'll tell you when I'm ready."_

"_I'll wait until you're ready."_

_#_

Sitting around the dinner table, the Kurosaki family listened in rapt attention as Rukia told them her story. Wiping away pretend tears, she spoke. "When I was very young, my parents passed away. I was left with my older sister. She married a very important businessman who was always busy. Then…" Rukia choked back a fake sob. "Then my sister passed away as well, and I was left with my brother-in-law. We recently moved to Karakura, where my brother's business opened a new branch. But now, he's on a trip to America, and I have nowhere to stay."

Both Isshin and Yuzu were crying, and even Karin looked sympathetic. Ichigo sweat-dropped at the scene. _Her acting sucks, but they're lapping it up so eagerly_, he thought.

"DON'T WORRY, RUKIA-CHAN!" Isshin wrapped her in a bear hug. "YOU CAN ALWAYS STAY WITH US!"

"Urk-" Rukia frantically waved her arms, signaling Ichigo to help her.

"Oi! Goat-chin! She can't breath, you dumb-ass!"

"Ichi-nii, don't swear!"

Ichigo sweat-dropped again. Only Yuzu would be worried about him swearing when Rukia was suffocating. Finally, he kicked Isshin again, forcing him to release Rukia, who had turned an alarming shade of blue. Shooting him a grateful look, she gasped in air.

"Rukia-chan, you can stay in our room!" Yuzu chirped. Hearing this, Isshin gained a suspicious-looking gleam in his eye.

"NO WORRIES, RUKIA-CHAN!" he bellowed. Ichigo had a sneaking suspicion that his father was up to no good. A moment later, his suspicion was confirmed.

"You can stay in Ichigo's room!" Ichigo groaned. _Dammit, dad. _Shooting Rukia a warning look, he cringed as he heard her response.

"Thanks, Kurosaki-san! I'll be happy to! I'm so grateful that you've opened your house up to me. I've never had any real family…" At this, she looked down as if in sadness.

Ichigo thought, _Well, I guess her acting is pretty good, as long as she doesn't overdo it_. Looking over at Karin, who had been silently watching the whole spectacle, he asked, "Hey, Karin, you haven't said anything. What do you think about this whole situation?"

Shrugging, Karin replied, "What the two of you do together is none of my business. As long as I don't end up with a niece or nephew, I don't really care."

Both Ichigo and Rukia flushed scarlet, and Isshin wrapped both of them in a huge hug. "DON'T WORRY SON, THIRD DAUGHTER! I'M HERE FOR YOU IF YOU EVER NEED ANYTHING! JUST MAKE SURE TO USE PROTECTION AND I'LL APPROVE OF ANYTHING YOU DO!"

Sharing a look, Ichigo and Rukia sighed. _It's gonna be a looong drag._

#

HELLO EVERYONE! As promised, I'm back with a super-long special of _When Genius Meets Death_! My finals are over, finally (haha, get it?) and I now have over a hundred subscribers (including following/favoriting both the story and me as an author) and 54 reviews on this story! Wow, I love you all! Now that I'll have more time to write, you can expect chapters to be around this length. This was over eleven pages in Microsoft Word, which is probably the longest story I've ever written in my life. The things I do for you guys.

Now that I've updated again, I fully expect at least 10 reviews for this chapter, if not more. So, get to it! Just kidding, but I would greatly appreciate it if you review this chapter! Thanks for reading everyone, and I'll see you all next time!

~fokker333


	6. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

"Kurosaki, are you listening to me?"

Ichigo was snapped out of his dazed stupor by Ochi-sensei's exasperated voice. He had been thinking about the complications involved in his duties of having to purify the souls of Karakura Town. As a result, apparently he had just missed a question directed to him by his teacher and now had to endure her wrath.

Ichigo groaned inwardly. _I so don't want to deal with this right now._ After a long, semi-serious, _very embarrassing, _and COMPLETELY unnecessary talk with Isshin about safe sex, the proper use of protection, and other content that made both Ichigo and Rukia's faces turn redder than…"Strawberries," Rukia had teased him after Ichigo yelled at his father and smacked him a few times.

"Sorry, Ochi-sensei. You were saying?" _Crap. I'm really distracted today, I probably don't look apologetic at all._ Hastily pasting on a sheepish smile, he looked at his teacher.

Narrowing her eyes at him, Ochi-sensei gave an evil smile that made the whole class shiver in apprehension. "Tell me, Kurosaki. Who was the thirteenth president of the United States?"

Ichigo sighed. "Millard Fillmore."

Ochi-sensei blinked. Apparently she had not expected him to get the answer right. Fillmore was one of the most obscure United States presidents anyways. "Who was his vice-president?"

"He didn't have a vice-president, seeing as he became President after the previous President Zachary Taylor's death."

Ochi-sensei blinked again. Determined to get the orange-haired teen to trip up, she continued her onslaught. "What's the Law of Cosines?"

"_a_ squared equals _b_ squared plus _c_ squared minus _2bc_ cosine _theta_."

"Derive the Pythagorean Theorem from the Law of Cosines."

"Because the cosine of ninety degrees is zero, we can remove the _2bc cosine theta _from the Law of Cosines since the triangle we're solving for is a right triangle, so it becomes _a_ squared equals _b_ squared plus _c_ squared, although most people prefer to say _a_ squared plus _b_ squared equals _c _squared."

"What's the standard equation for a conic section?"

"_Ax_ squared plus _By_ squared plus _Cxy_ plus _Dx_ plus _Ey_ plus _F _equals zero, with _A, B, C, D, E, _and _F_ being constants."

"What's the chemical formula for sodium acetate?"

"CH3COONa"

"What is the Bronsted-Lowry definition of an acid?"

"Bronsted-Lowry states that an acid is a 'proton giver,' giving a proton to a base in an acid-base formula and forming OH- as a product."

"What is the radius of the sun?"

"The radius of the sun is approximately 695,500 kilometers."

Ochi-sensei stopped her endless tirade of questions. A hushed silence reigned throughout the classroom, and Ichigo looked around to see all of his classmates stared at him. _Shit, I may have taken that too far. _Beside him, Rukia looked at him disapprovingly.

Running his fingers through his hair, Ichigo laughed awkwardly. "Ehh, I read encyclopedias for fun at home…"

Inwardly he face-palmed. _Crap, now the entire school is going to think that I'm a nerd. Oh well, better off having a reputation as a nerd than people knowing about my genius. That would be pretty bad, people would interfere and all sorts of crap would happen_.

His classmates were all whispering excitedly, while Ochi-sensei looked a bit dazed. _She's probably shocked that I actually turned out to be a 'nerd'. After all, I'm always labeled a delinquent because of my hair._ Among all his classmates, he noticed one who wasn't whispering along with the others. The slim boy with long black hair and glasses was instead looking at him with intrigue, curiosity shining behind his glasses.

#

With Rukia walking beside him, Ichigo left the school building. Without further ado, Rukia jabbed an elbow into his ribs, causing Ichigo to yelp. "What the hell was that for?" he asked, rubbing his bruised side.

"You know exactly what that was for, idiot! Don't go bursting out like that in class, what if somebody finds out? It could blow our cover and we'd have all sorts of people interfering with our business, which would make keeping everything a secret so much harder."

"I know," Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair, something that he had been doing a lot lately. Maybe he was picking up a new habit, running his hands through his hair when he was agitated. _This whole shinigami business is completely tearing down the mask I created in the last few years. I have to be careful._ "Well, I covered it up okay. Now people just think that I'm a nerd, instead of a-"

"Genius." An unfamiliar voice cut into their conversation. Ichigo and Rukia whirled around to find a slim, tall boy with long-ish hair hanging over his eyes and glasses standing behind them.

Ichigo and Rukia stood stunned for an instant, before Ichigo recovered and said irritably, "What are you talking about?" _Shit, shit, shit. I have to stay calm. This could end really badly, and then all of our carefully-laid plans would be screwed._

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Kurosaki," said the boy.

"Sorry, I don't. Er, what did you say your name was?" asked Ichigo.

"I didn't. But my name is Ishida Uryu."

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo," Ichigo introduced, extending his hand for a polite handshake.

Looking at the outstretched had with a hint of- _is that reluctance? What an anti-social guy_ -, Ishida grasped it in a loose handshake, letting go quickly.

"Well, now that introductions are over, I still don't know what you're talking about. Care to explain?" Ichigo asked, hoping to find out more about this strange student who had apparently figured out his carefully-guarded secret, despite Ichigo's years of experience hiding it.

"I'm not stupid, Kurosaki-san." Ichigo took note of the title Ishida added at the end of his name. _So, there's some sort of respect going on here. _"I can tell when someone has a high intellect." _That's right, I remember now. His name is always at the top of the list when grades are released. So, he's quite smart as well._ "No average high school student should know the answers to the questions Ochi-sensei asked today. It's obvious that you're more than just a student. And you couldn't simply be reading encyclopedias for fun, the topics sensei asked about were too diverse and spread out alphabetically for that to be true. Therefore, the only possible conclusion is that you have some incredibly high intellect that you've been keeping a secret. After all, when all other possible explanations have been eliminated, the last one, no matter how improbable, is the right conclusion."

Eying Ishida with respect for his intellect, as well as wariness, Ichigo responded, "That's quite an interesting theory you have there, Ishida-san." _It's probably best to be polite with this guy, if I piss him off he might tell my secret and everything would be ruined._ "Why don't we go talk somewhere more private?" he asked. Not waiting for an answer, Ichigo turned and walked down the street, heading towards the river.

"Ichigo, wait up!" called Rukia behind him, but he didn't slow his pace. Although his outward appearance and facial expressions didn't show it, Rukia could tell that he was extremely worried.

_Crap. What are we going to do?_ Ichigo thought. _This guy is clearly very smart. Also, I felt kinda weird around him. His spiritual presence is different from a normal human_. Ichigo had a sudden, disturbing thought. _What if he's an undercover shinigami, sent by Soul Society? Crap, this isn't good._

#

"You're right, Ishida-san," Ichigo sighed, running his hand through his hair. Beside him, Rukia shot him a worried look. She opened her mouth, about to say something, when Ichigo stopped her. "It's alright, Rukia. It'll be okay for him to know. Trust me." Turning to Ishida once again, he continued, "I'm quite impressed, Ishida-san. That you could figure out the secret that I've hidden from everyone for over six years is a testament to your intellect." _I bit of flattery, just to get on his good side, couldn't hurt_.

Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose with a finger and spoke, "Don't worry, the other students in our class won't figure anything out from that outburst you had in class today, Kurosaki-san. Most of them are too dimwitted to figure something out, and the reputation you've built up is too strong for them to look past it."

Smirking lightly, Ichigo replied, "That's exactly why I created it, so people couldn't figure things out even if I did slip a little bit. I didn't foresee meeting someone with an intelligence on par with mine, though." _Although I doubt he's as smart as me. Above average, maybe considerably slow, but probably not to my extent. But then again, I've successfully kept my genius a secret for years, so who knows?_

"I'm curious though, Kurosaki-san. Exactly how smart are you?"

Ichigo decided to answer truthfully. After all, this guy had uncovered his carefully hidden secret. He deserved to know the truth, if not only for the keen intellect that allowed him to discover it. _'In for a penny, in for a pound,' they say._ "I have an IQ of over 200." Seeing the other boy's eyes widen slightly, Ichigo continued, "Of course, I haven't been officially tested, or it wouldn't be a secret. I tested myself."

Ishida looked a bit pale. "Over two hundred…" he muttered under his breath. "That's… ridiculous." He looked at Ichigo, his expression suddenly hard. "Prove it.'

Ichigo sighed. _I was hoping I didn't have to do something like this…_ He looked at Ishida. "You live with your alone with your father. Your mother is either dead or doesn't live with you. This is clear from the fact that your shirt is un-ironed, since there is no motherly figure to take care of things like that. Your father is a doctor, most likely a practitioner at Karakura General Hospital. He is probably very busy because of it, often away from home, which results in your slight anti-social personality. Of course, you might simply be anti-social, but this explanation is much more likely. You are very adept at needlework, and although people think that you're a sissy for it, you aren't ashamed of your skills. This is evidenced by the light blue cross sewn onto the chest pocket of your uniform shirt. It's not part of the standard uniform, and since you don't have a mother, it's most likely that you did it yourself. Although you hide it very well, you are also a very good cook. The light food stains on your clothes, despite them being very well-washed and heavily bleached, are evidence to that. Also…" Ichigo paused, staring straight into Ishida's eyes, which had narrowed while listening to him speak.

"You are a Quincy." Rukia had told him about the feud between shinigami and the Quincy, and about their abilities. They drew in _reishi_ - spirit particles -from the air to fight. The strange feeling Ichigo had when talking with Ishida was the slight lack of spirit particles in the air, since he was drawing them into himself.

Ishida paled at these words, his expression displaying shock. The shock immediately morphed into fury. "Shinigami…" he hissed through clenched teeth. Anger etched itself into the Quincy's elegant face, and he leapt away from Ichigo, disappearing in what Ichigo supposed was the Quincy equivalent of flash-step. Appearing twenty meters away, Ichigo noticed that Ishida was now holding a glowing blue bow in his hand, aimed straight at him.

A glowing blue arrow made of reishi flew straight for him, and he leapt quickly out of the way, pulling Rukia along with him. "Quick! Push me out of my body!" he called to Rukia, who pulled the glove onto her hand and smacked Ichigo in the forehead, ejecting his soul form. "Take care of it!" he said, quickly flash-stepping out of the way of another arrow.

Dropping out of the flash-step a few meters in front of Ishida, Ichigo let his hand drop to the sheathed katana at his waist. However, he did not draw it yet. _The way he's acting is odd, it's not like he's fighting just due to the feud between Quincy and shinigami. No, it's much more personal. It's like he lost someone important, and he blames shinigami. _

Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo flash-stepped away from another arrow, appearing behind Ishida this time. Tapping the Quincy lightly on the shoulder, he stepped away as Ishida spun around. Raising his hands to show that he had not drawn his _zanpakutou_, his soul cutter, Ichigo said, "Ishida-san, please listen to me! I know that you hate shinigami, and I'm sorry if you've lost someone to the shinigami, but that's no reason for you to do this!" Walking forward, he settled a hand on Ishida's shoulder. "Please, clear your mind of whatever incident is making you act so irrationally. You can come find me then. I like you, and I think we could be good friends. But we simply cannot be friends if you act this way. Please, Ishida-san, I don't want to fight you."

Hesitating slightly, Ishida lowered his bow. Ichigo was satisfied. _Looks like he's calmed down a bit. _Flash-stepping in front of Rukia, who had laid his body on the ground and was watching the confrontation, he reentered his body. Brushing the dust from his shirt off, he looked at Ishida standing there, watching him. "Let's go, Rukia."

#

Hey guys! Here's another chapter for you! Admittedly it's a bit short, but I thought this was a good stopping-point for this chapter. I know that these past few chapters have been a little slow, but it's all plot-development really. I'll try to have a bit more action, but it's just how the story writes itself, you know? The weekend is coming up, so I shoud have a few more longer chapters by then. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I'll see you guys next time!

~fokker333


	7. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

The hollow screeched angrily as its swipe was blocked by Ichigo's drawn zanpakutou. It pulled back its blade-like arms to prepare for another strike. Ichigo saw and opening and took it. Flash-stepping so he was in the air behind the hollow, he raised his zanpakutou for a powerful downward slash. _While I'm here, I might as well figure out the defensive capabilities of hollow in general. Although it seems most of them have unique offensive and defensive capabilities, I wonder what the resistance strength of the mask is?_

Bringing the blade down in a curved slash, Ichigo easily cut through the mast of the hollow. _Interesting. It seems that instead of physical strength, the mask's toughness is dependent on the hollow's reiatsu. I should have known, seeing as they're souls after all_. Sheathing his zanpakutou, he turned to face the spirit that the hollow had been attacking. "Hey there, are you alright?"

The young soul wiped tears from his eyes. It was the same one that Ichigo had met on the street corner a few weeks ago. "Y-yeah, nii-san. I'm alright."

Ichigo smiled. "Alright then. I'm gonna send you to Soul Society now, okay? Don't worry, I heard that the afterlife is pretty similar to the real world. Maybe you'll make some new friends there, and even eventually become a shinigami, like me."

The soul's eyes widened. "Really? I can become strong like nii-san?"

Chuckling, Ichigo patted the young soul's head. "That's up to you. If you want to be strong, then you will. Are you ready?"

The soul nodded, and Ichigo planted the hilt of his zanpakutou lightly on the soul's forehead. A glowing seal appeared where the hilt struck, and the soul slowly disappeared. "See you later, nii-san!"

Ichigo turned to Rukia, who had been watching the whole event. "Well? How did I do? Alright for my first konso?"

Rukia nodded. "You did well. But remember this: now that you've purified one plus soul, you have fully and completely committed yourself to the duties of the shinigami. You must be completely impartial in your purifications. When souls are in danger, you cannot show any weakness, and sign of preference or priority. You must deal with them all the same. That is the duty of a shinigami."

Ichigo looked at her, determination in his eyes. "I'm not one to do things by half-measures, Rukia. I swear that I will carry out the duties of a shinigami, despite being only a substitute, to my fullest ability."

Rukia smirked. "Of course you will, Strawberry. I wouldn't expect otherwise."

Ichigo twitched. "Don't call me 'Strawberry,' dammit! My name means 'one who protects!'"

Rukia teased, "But it's so fun to call you 'Strawberry!' The most interesting part is your reaction. It's so funny to see you react so strongly to a little thing like that!"

Ichigo sighed. "The thing is, I do take the meaning of my name seriously. Well, I did, anyways. But ever since… ever since my mother died, I found myself losing sight of that determination and motivation to protect. Sure, I can take care of my little sisters, but I can't do anything further than that! I feel like can't protect the people I care about!" He looked down. "I felt… weak. When my mother died, I felt like I had failed in my job. I was supposed to protect her, and she died! And it was my fault."

Rukia looked at him, wide-eyed. She had not been expecting him to pour out his heart like this. "Ichigo…"

"Let's go on a walk, Rukia." Ichigo said. "I'll tell you the whole story. I'm ready."

#

"It was a few days after my ninth birthday. My mother and I were walking home from the karate dojo where I was a student. It was a cloudy evening, and it looked like it was about to rain. For the past week it had been raining a lot, and the river was pretty high. It was fast too, and it was scary looking at it. The water would churn, flowing quickly and violently past the banks. Sometimes a wave would splash onto the ground, and pull things into the river: branches, rocks, and all sorts of debris that lay too close to the river.

"I saw a little girl, standing really close to the bank. I was afraid that she would get swept away. So I ran away from my mother's side, running towards the girl. I was just trying to protect her. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground, with my mother on top of me, dead. There was blood everywhere. And the little girl was gone."

They had reached the river by then, the site of the incident that Ichigo was talking about. The river was calm though, gurgling along the shore softly.

"When my mother died, I felt that I had failed. It was my job to protect, and I let her get killed." Ichigo took a shuddering sigh. "It's a terrible feeling, the feeling of complete and utter failure. I lost my motivation that day. I took care of my little sisters as any older brother would, but I never showed my determination to protect again. But now, I have these powers. I have these powers that I can use to protect, and hell if I let them go to waste!"

A raindrop fell from the sky, landing on Ichigo's cheek. He wiped it away, looking at the moisture on the tip of his finger. "I've always hated the rain. To me, it's a reminder of my greatest failure, my failure to live up to my name, my failure to protect." More drops fell, and the rain began in earnest, turning the surface of the river into a churning mess. "But now, I can protect again, thanks to the powers that you've given me. Thank you, Rukia. You gave me a purpose again. Before I met you, I was just going through the routines of life. I often thought to myself, 'Why am I doing this? Why am I bothering to go to school, to get an education, even though I was a genius? What was the point of going to college, getting a degree, getting a job, if I couldn't protect the ones close to me?' But then you came along, with a whole new world. And you gave me this new power, a power that I can use to protect those that are dear to me. I've decided something, Rukia. Failing to protect my mother is going to be the only time I let someone get hurt. Nobody else is going to get hurt as long as I'm there and I can do something to stop it. I swear this on my life."

Rukia looked at him, standing tall in the pouring rain, a fierce determination gleaming in his eyes. Before her eyes, Ichigo's reiatsu flared slightly, a light blue fire pouring off his body. She smiled slightly at Ichigo's attitude. His entire persona had changed at his words, his genius personality discarded and replaced by that of a mature young man.

Her thoughts were cut off when she realized that his flaring reiatsu was attracting the attention of hollows throughout the city. More than half a dozen of them were already converging on their position. "Ichigo!" she shouted, "idiot, suppress your reiatsu!"

He did so, cursing himself for his inattention, but it was too late. They were already surrounded by hollows. With a curse, he leapt toward Rukia, who ejected him from his body with a _smack_. Whipping his zanpakutou out of its sheath, he stood in a fighting stance, blade at the ready.

Howling, a hollow charged at the pair. With a quick flash-step and a slash of his blade, Ichigo cut through its mask and it disintegrated. While he was busy, another hollow charged towards Rukia, clearly intending for the girl to be his next meal. Flashing again, he appeared in front of the attacking hollow, blocking the blow with the flat of his blade. Pushing the hollow back, he failed to realize three other hollows charging at his unprotected back.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's shout brought his attention to the hollows that were about to descend on him. Mere seconds before they struck, a trio of reishi arrows punched through their masks, destroying them instantly. Ichigo grinned as he finished off the hollow that had attacked Rukia. He turned to see Ishida, bow drawn and ready, another arrow flying through the air to strike another hollow. The shinigami and the Quincy stood, facing the dozen-odd hollows that surrounded them. With a nod, the Quincy acknowledged Ichigo, and Ichigo returned the greeting. An unspoken signal passed through the hollow, and as one they attacked.

Flashing through the air, Ichigo and Ishida worked in perfect harmony, striking down hollow after hollow. As the rapidly vaporizing hollows disappeared, Ichigo turned to Ishida. "Yo, Ishida-san. Glad you showed up. I appreciate the help. Thanks for saving me back there."

"Likewise, Kurosaki-san. I'm glad you saved some for me, I've been wanting to kill something for a while now."

Their friendly banter was cut off by a muffled curse from Rukia. Turning to her, Ichigo asked, "Rukia? What's wrong?"

Wordlessly she pointed to what appeared to be a giant crack in the sky. Ichigo and Ishida's eyes widened. _Shit, that's REALLY not good_. A giant white foot stepped out of the widening hole, followed by its pair. The largest hollow Ichigo had ever seen stepped into view. "Menos grande…" Rukia whispered beside him. "I've never seen one of those myself, only read about them at the Academy. They're so strong only the vice-captains and captains can fight them without suffering serious losses. This is really bad."

Ichigo shot a look at Ishida, who stood beside him and Rukia. "Well, Ishida-san. Looks like you got your 'something' to kill. Just don't die, alright?"

Ishida smirked. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he replied, "Speak for yourself, shinigami." But there was no malice in his words, only light teasing. _Looks like he got over whatever was bothering him before_. _That's good. _Flashing in unison, the substitute shinigami and the Quincy engaged the massive Menos in battle.

Ichigo flashed close in to the Menos, swiping his blade across its face, but only succeeding to cut its mask shallowly. _Damn, this is a tough one!_ He flashed away as Ishida loosed half a dozen arrows, aiming for the light cut Ichigo had inflicted. _Looks like we're focusing one spot. Alright with me._

Appearing a few dozen meters in front of the Menos, he pointed his index finger at the hollow, aiming for the weak point. "Hado 4, _Byakurai_! A streak of lightning shot from his finger, impacting the hollow's mask. A small explosion obscured the hollow's face for a moment, and when the smoke cleared, Ichigo could make out a small crack in the hollow's mask. Looking down at Rukia, he saw her nodding his approval at his use of kido. Although he hadn't quite gotten the hang of the higher-level spells yet, his massive reiatsu made the lower-level spells quite powerful. His favorite by far was _byakurai_, white lightning. It was powerful and also very accurate, perfect for pinpoint attacks.

He flashed out of the way again as Ishida launched another barrage of arrows. They struck, widening the crack. _This is taking too long. We need one powerful attack to finish it._"

Flashing next to Ishida, he said, "I have an idea. The more reishi you pull in, the more powerful your attacks, right?" Ishida nodded. "Alright. Here goes."

Placing his hands on Ishida's shoulders, he channeled his reiatsu into Ishida, focusing the flow into the Quincy's hands. The glowing bow he held grew enormous, and the arrow vibrated with raw power. Ishida gritted his teeth at the immense destructive power he had in his hands. Taking careful aim at the weakened point in the mask of the Menos, he let fly.

Streaking through the air, collecting even more reishi from the surroundings, the arrow flew upward. It struck true, impacting directly on the crack that Ichigo and Ishida had inflicted with their combined efforts. With a massive _CRACK_ the blue arrow punched a hole straight through the Menos, continuing to fly upward into the sky.

With a roar, the Menos fell backwards, disintegrating from the head down as it did so. Panting slightly, mildly fatigued from expending so much reiatsu, Ichigo took his hands off Ishida's shoulders. The Quincy looked dazed, maybe a little high even from the sudden rush of power.

The pair watched in relief as the rest of the hollows, seeing the Menos defeated, retreated from view. Rukia released a breath she had been unconsciously holding as Ichigo had tried out his "plan." Walking forward, she smacked Ichigo in the back of the head. "You idiot!" she snapped. "What if you lost control of your reiatsu? You could have fried him!" she said, pointing to Ishida, who was watching the pair's interaction with mild amusement.

Ichigo winced, rubbing the back of his head. "Geez, Rukia. Sometimes I think you forget who I am." Turning to Ishida, he said, "I take it you've calmed down a bit then?"

Ishida nodded. "My grandfather, Ishida Soken, always said that we should work together with the shinigami. However, he was killed by hollows because the shinigami were too late in responding." His fists clenched. "I want revenge on the shinigami that allowed my grandfather to die. But only that shinigami. My grandfather would be disappointed in me if I were to hate all shinigami on his behalf."

Ichigo smiled. "I'm glad you think that way, Ishida-san."

"Please, call me Uryu. After all, we're friends now, right?"

"Only if you call me Ichigo. I've never been fond of honorifics. And I would be happy to consider you my friend, Uryu."

#

The trio were walking down the street, Ichigo and Ishida deep in discussion about some theory or another involving hollows. Rukia was walking a few paces behind the Quincy and substitute shinigami, fiddling with her soul phone. Suddenly, a beeping noise sounded from the phone. Quincy and substitute shinigami ceased their discussion immediately, turning to Rukia.

"Where?" Ichigo asked.

"Two blocks to the south of here," she responded. Pushing Ichigo out of his body, she watched as the two flashed quickly to the location she had said. Quickly stashing Ichigo's body behind a dumpster, she ran to join them. Arriving at the hollow's location, she was greeted with the sight of Ichigo and Ishida watching in horror as a massive hollow faced off against a tall, dark figure - _Chad?_

Silently, Chad leapt forward, smashing his fist into the hollow's leg. The knee joint shattered under the force of the blow, and the hollow roared in fury. A blow sent the Mexican flying backwards, smashing into a telephone pole.

"Chad!" Ichigo shouted, leaping forward. Whipping his zanpakutou out of its sheath, he prepared to face off against the hollow. However, his attention was caught by Chad, emerging from the dust, his right arm strangely discolored black and magenta. Spiritual energy flaring from his shoulder, which ended in a pair of fan-like protrusions, the large teen charged the hollow.

"El Directo!" With a shout, Chad released the flaring spiritual energy in a massive punch directly into the giant hollow's abdomen. Screeching in pain, the hollow disintegrated, causing Ichigo and Ishida, who had materialized his bow, to stop and stare in astonishment.

"…Chad?" Ichigo said, for once in his life completely bewildered. "What…?" \

Chad turned to look at him and said, "_Brazo Derecha de Gigante_… the Right Arm of the Giant."

Ichigo stopped staring and grinned. "Looks like you've developed powers of your own, huh Chad?"

Chad grunted. "Now I can cover your back again, Ichigo."

Ichigo laughed. "Welcome to the club, Chad."

#

Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Again, this is a bit of a short chapter. But almost all of the plot and character elements have fallen into place. Next chapter: enter Renji and Byakuya! Stay tuned for the next update, it should come sometime mid-week. This is probably about the rate that I will write now, twice a week with chapters a bit longer than this one. This chapter is almost 3k words, so expect them to be somewhere between 4-5k words. Of course, chapters that length would mean no more daily updates, but I think the plot would move better with longer chapters. So sorry for those who like the daily updates, but that's just how it works. Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing, and a big thanks to the 119 people who've added my story to their story alert/favorites list. I'm so glad you guys have enjoyed this story so much. And thanks to the people who have reviewed. I have 79 reviews for six chapters including the prologue! Wow. We're well on our way to a hundred reviews! Thanks so much for the support and the comments, I'm so happy that this story is so well-received. So anyways, I will see you all mid-week with another update. Until then, peace out!

~fokker333


	8. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

It was Saturday evening, so Ichigo and Rukia were enjoying a walk by the riverside again. Ichigo had just finished telling her about how he had met his oldest friend, Arisawa Tatsuki. Rukia began her own story.

"I grew up in Rukongai, the Court of Wandering Souls. That's where souls are sent after they die in the real world. Rukongai is split into 160 districts, 80 north of Seireitei, the Court of Pure souls, 80 to the south of Seireitei. As the number of the district got higher, the worse the living conditions were. I grew up in the 78th Rukon district, _Inuzuri_, the Hanging Dog. I had no family that I knew of. From what little I remember, my older sister Hisana took care of me for a while before she had to abandon me, since she was constantly ill and found it hard to support both of us. She left me in the care of an old couple and disappeared. I never knew what happened to her until I was adopted.

"I grew up with the old couple, and when I was old enough, I left them since they themselves were struggling to get by. In Inuzuri, it was every soul for themselves. I wandered the streets, stealing food and water to get by. I didn't know that in Soul Society souls don't need to eat unless they had _reiryoku_, spiritual awareness. I had the potential to become a shinigami. After years of living how I did, I met Renji.

"Abarai Renji was my best friend. The two of us, along with two other boys, survived the Rukongai together. We would work as a team, stealing food from the vendors while the others distracted them. It… wasn't the best life, but we got by. One day though, our two other friends were killed by hollows. They weren't powerful hollows, they had accidentally wandered into Rukongai. The shinigami were too late in coming, and our friends died. But the shinigami finally came and destroyed the hollows. They told Renji and me that we had the potential to become shinigami.

"That day, we buried our friends on a hillside facing the Seireitei. I decided that day that I was going to become a shinigami. Renji agreed, and we made our way from Inuzuri to Seireitei, where we applied to the _Shinou_ _Academy_, the place where souls trained to become shinigami. I never returned to Inuzuri.

"The reason the Rukongai is in such disarray and chaos is because there is no authority there. The shinigami used to have regular patrols in the Rukongai, with emphasis on the lower-numbered ones, since they were closer to the Seireitei. However, these patrols eventually stopped, and crime began to run rampant. Because the shinigami abandoned the people of Rukongai, many of the residents are very bitter towards shinigami. I've always wanted to return to Inuzuri to try and clean it up, along with the other districts. But as an unseated shinigami, even with my brother as the head of a noble clan and the captain of the Sixth division, I didn't have the influence to do so."

Rukia sighed wistfully. "After graduating from the Academy, Renji was sent to the Eleventh division and I was assigned to the Thirteenth. Eventually he became the _fukutaicho_, the vice-captain of the Sixth division under my brother. We haven't talked since he was promoted. I guess we just drifted apart."

Ichigo was silent. _Her childhood was really harsh. I can't even imagine what it was like for her, having to steal food in order to survive. She knows the pain of loss too, when her best friends were killed. _

After a moment, he said, "I'm sorry, Rukia. About your friends, I mean. And I'm glad that you decided to do something about it. You became a shinigami to protect souls from hollows. It was a good decision."

Rukia smiled. The two of them walked in silence, and Ichigo began to think.

_It's been almost two months since I met Rukia and became a shinigami. And yet her powers haven't returned yet. The most she's been able to do is use very rudimentary kidou, and even that is extremely weak due to her lack of spiritual power. Surely her powers would have returned by now. It's like something's preventing her spiritual powers from manifesting again. _

He reached out with his sensed, examining Rukia's spiritual imprint. _How strange. She feels more like a human than a shinigami. A gigai can't change the spiritual imprint of a soul, can it? So why is she becoming human? _

Resolving to ask Urahara about the matter, Ichigo trudged on, watching the sun set in the horizon. The rays of the setting sun painted the sky orange, reflecting off the calm surface of the river.

"The sky is the same color as your hair," Rukia teased. "It's almost the exact same color!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Rukia had teased him about his hair ever since she had arrived, but he could tell that it was friendly teasing, not the kind that he was used to, in which he got into fights over it. She had also taken to calling him 'Strawberry' when he told her that he didn't mind. Of course, he would complain about it, but there was no real anger when he complained, only mild annoyance.

His thoughts were interrupted when a set of traditional Japanese _shoji_ doors appeared in the sky a few dozen meters in front of them. The pair stopped cold, a wave of apprehension washing over them.

"They're here."

#

The doors opened, and two figures stepped through. The first one, a tall and imposing figure, was dressed in the traditional shihakusho garb of a shinigami. However, over his shihakusho he wore a white haori, which Ichigo remembered was the sign of a captain of the Gotei 13. Around his neck he wore a scarf of very expensive-looking white silk. _If I remember my Japanese history correctly, that sort of scarf was used to identify the head of a noble family. Since Soul Society apparently lives in Edo-era Japan… This man must be Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byakuya. Crap._

The other man wore an armband around his upper arm with the kanji for _six_ emblazoned on it. He wore his flaming red hair in a spiky topknot - _it looks like he has a pineapple growing out of his head_ - and a pair of sunglasses rested on his forehead. He had tribal tattoos adorning his face, and presumably his upper torso as well. _This would be the fukutaicho of the Sixth division and Rukia's friend, Abarai Renji. Why would Soul Society send a captain and a vice-captain just to retrieve a rogue shinigami? Surely they didn't think it was necessary to send such powerful individuals?_

Ichigo watched as the doors closed as the figures stepped out of them, and the two top-ranked officers of the Sixth division of the Gotei 13 approached Ichigo and Rukia. _Since both of them know Rukia and are close to them, maybe I can explain the situation to them, and they'll be able to understand. After all, they don't want Rukia executed, right? _

Ichigo executed a perfect formal bow when the shinigami reached them. He said in a tone befitting addressing a noble, "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from your sister." He was careful to be very formal and respectful. After all, it would be very bad to offend someone of such influence and power within the Gotei 13, which would decide Rukia's fate.

Turning to Renji, he bowed again. "And you must be Abarai Renji-san. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Renji narrowed his eyes, while Byakuya looked on impassively. "You must be the human that took Rukia's powers."

Ichigo winced internally. _Great. Looks like I have to clear things up with these guys_. "Abarai-san, I need to correct that statement slightly, as well as justify Kuchiki-san's actions. She willingly gave her powers to me in order to protect my family from hollows. Although it is true that shinigami are forbidden from interfering with the affairs of humans, is it not true that their primary duty is to protect souls from hollows? Then by giving me her powers she was merely carrying out that foremost duty of shinigami."

"Don't lie, _human_." The disdain in Abarai's voice was evident. "Don't even bother trying to fool us with your bull. There's no way Rukia would break a rule of Soul Society just for a _human_."

Ichigo groaned internally again. _Clearly he thinks that Rukia can do no wrong. Looks like negotiations are gonna be tough._ "Look, Abarai-san. I have no ill feelings toward you or Rukia. I only want to protect those who are close to me."

Byakuya spoke for the first time. "And you consider my sister as one of those individuals 'close' to you?"

Ichigo hesitated, then nodded tersely, saying nothing.

Renji's reiatsu flared in anger, and he shouted, "You dare consider Rukia as a friend? You arrogant bastard." He drew his zanpakutou, clearly intending to attack. His captain apparently wasn't going to stop him.

"Crap," Ichigo muttered, flashing away from Renji's first strike. He flashed again, appearing next to Rukia. She pulled on her glove and pushed Ichigo out of his body. Ichigo flashed again in front of Renji, keeping his zanpakutou sheathed. He shouted, "Abarai-san, I've said this before, I don't want to fight you." His voice hardened. "But I'm afraid that if you intend to take Rukia to her execution, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop you."

Renji snorted in derision. "As if a human like you could fight me. I'm the second strongest shinigami in the Sixth division. I've had years of experience fighting hollows. You don't stand a chance."

Smirking, Ichigo responded, "I guess we'll just have to find out if you can back up that statement, right, Abarai-san?"

Roaring, Renji charged Ichigo again. Waiting until the very last moment, Ichigo drew his zanpakutou, knocking aside Renji's blade in a shower of sparks. They clashed, Renji swinging wildly, Ichigo making short clean blocks. Flashing away from each other, Renji yelled, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado no. 31, _Shakkaho!_"

Ichigo looked on in amusement as the spell exploded in Renji's face. _Looks like he's bad at kidou. That's gonna give me an advantage._

Pointing an index finger at Renji, who was cursing and waving away the smoke, he said, "Hado no. 4, Byakurai!" A streak of pale lightning burst from his finger and flew towards the coughing vice-captain.

Barely reacting in time, Renji brought up his zanpakutou, blocking the lightning with his blade. He was once again covered in a cloud of smoke as the spell exploded. Ichigo heard a shout from inside the smoke. "Howl, Zabimaru!"

A whip-like blade shot out of the smoke, narrowly missing Ichigo, who leapt away from the attack. The smoke cleared and Renji stood, shihakusho slightly singed, holding a whip-like falchion. The vice-captain smirked cockily. "How do you like that, human? That's the _shikai _of my zanpakutou, Zabimaru."

Ichigo looked mildly impressed. _Looks like I'm gonna have to adapt my style against his new style. That blade looks more like a whip than a sword. Due to its length, which seems to be almost unlimited, he's probably limited to a few attacks, probably about three, before he has to retract the blades to recover. That's going to be his weak spot. I'll make my attack then._

Dodging another hit from the segmented whip-blade, Ichigo flashed in front of Renji. He loosed off another blast of white lightning, which Renji flashed away from. Ichigo heard a whistling sound behind him, and he flashed out of the way of a third consecutive attack.

He watched as Renji began retracting the long whip. _Here's my chance!_ Firing a blast of white lightning, Ichigo flashed in close to Renji, holding his blade at Renji's throat. "Sorry, Abarai-san. Looks like you lost."

Renji stared at Ichigo in shock. "How…? That's impossible. How could you possibly figure out that I'm vulnerable after three attacks? How are you able to use flash-step and kidou so easily? There's just no way a human like you could be so powerful."

"Looks like you've underestimated me then, shinigami." Ichigo couldn't resist the temptation to needle the humiliated vice-captain. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

"That's enough." Ichigo turned in shock to see Byakuya standing behind him. Blood spurted out of his chest and abdomen, and he fell to the ground.

"_Senka_. I've cut your soul chain and soul sleep, the sources of your power," Byakuya informed him in an emotionless voice. "It is nothing personal, boy. These are the orders of the Central 46, and it is our duty as shinigami to carry them out."

Ichigo could only lay on the ground, his body paralyzed. Blood seeped from the two injuries, creating a puddle on the ground in which he lay. Cursing his inattention, Ichigo lifted his head to look up at Byakuya. "Kuchiki-sama," he said, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Why are you taking her back? You know that she'll be executed when she gets back. You're her brother, you should be the one who protects her!"

Looking down at the bleeding teen, Byakuya only said, "It is the law."

Ichigo's patience snapped. "Listen, you asshole. I don't care what sort of twisted laws you obey. You are her brother! It is your duty as her brother to protect her from any harm. I do the same with my own younger sisters, as would any other older brother in the world. But you, you're leading your younger sister to her death! What sort of brother do you think you are?"

His angry tirade was cut off as he coughed, blood splattering from his lips onto the ground. He took a breath to continue when a voice rang out. "Stop it, Ichigo."

He turned to see Rukia walking towards the shinigami. "Rukia…" he said, disbelief coloring his voice. "What are you-"

"I said stop it, Ichigo! Stop talking. Stop resisting. Conserve your energy, or else you're going to bleed out. There's nothing you can do. Don't come after me."

"W-wait!"

Rukia spun around to face him, and he was shocked by the look in her face. There was no longer laughter in her large violet eyes. Instead, they were cold and emotionless, like Byakuya's. Ichigo was stunned. _What's going on? Why is she going with them? _

"I told you already, Ichigo. Don't try to come after me. There's no point. You're just going to end up dying if you do! So just lie there and stop trying to help me! You _can't _help me, Ichigo!" Her voice cracked ever so slightly. The tiniest bit of emotion, a mix of sadness and fear and resignation, colored her voice. "So just stay still and maybe you can live a little longer! I don't want you to die, Ichigo! But there really is nothing you can do. I'm past saving, Ichigo. My fate has been decided."

She looked at him, and he saw her cold façade crack a little as she gazed at his prone, bleeding form lying on the ground. "I don't want you to die on my behalf," she said again, this time with tears glistening in her eyes.

Ichigo was silent. _She's… crying. I've never seen her cry before, not really. And now she's crying because of… me. She's crying because I'm lying here, bleeding and helpless, unable to protect her. _

"Rukia…" he said again, "Why are you doing this?" he whispered. "Why are you just going to let them take you?"

Though she didn't answer, he could see the answer in her glistening eyes. _It's because I'm protecting you, idiot. You protected me the night you met me, you saved my life. And now I'm saving yours. Don't chase me, Strawberry. Don't die for me._

Turning away from Ichigo to face Byakuya, Rukia fixed her cold mask and said, "I'm ready to go back, nii-sama." Byakuya nodded. Thrusting his blade into the air, he turned it like a key, and a set of glowing shoji doors appeared in the air. Byakuya stepped through, with Rukia following him.

Renji turned and crouched next to Ichigo. "Listen to me, you asshole. Don't think that you can beat us, _human_. This is all your fault. It's your fault that Rukia's going to be executed." Renji straightened, kicking Ichigo's prone body viciously, causing him to spasm in pain. "Now just lie there and die."

The fukutaicho of the Sixth division stepped through the doors, leaving Ichigo lying in a pool of blood. As the doors closed and faded from view, rain began falling from the sky. They mingled with Ichigo's blood, causing the blood to run in rivulets down the riverbank into the water. As the rain became a downpour, they mingled with the tears on Ichigo's face as he cursed his own inability to protect.

"Fuck…" The word escaped his lips and lingered in the air. Ichigo stared at the air where the doors had been, and his vision went dark.

#

"…go. I…igo… Ich… Ichigo… Ichigo!" Ichigo opened his eyes blearily.

"What the hell is…" He was greeted by the sight of Uryu looking down at him, worry evident on the Quincy's face. "What happened?"

Suddenly, memories rushed back to him. He remembered bleeding in the rain as Rukia was taken by her brother and his vice-captain. He remembered the coldness in Rukia's voice as she told him not to go after her. He remembered the pain that was in her eyes, despite the emotionless façade. Ichigo shot upright and immediately regretted it. Biting back a cry of pain, he looked down at his torso. It was covered in bandages. He hung his head in shame. _Even after promising Rukia that I would protect those close to me, I still wasn't strong enough to protect her. I failed again, just like with my mother. _

He looked around at his surroundings. "Where the hell am I, anyways?" He would brood and wallow in depression later, in his own room.

"You're in a back room of the Urahara Shouten, Kurosaki-kun," a familiar voice informed him.

Ichigo turned his head and saw the strangely-dressed shop-keeper, Urahara Kisuke. He groaned. "Geta-boushi," he acknowledged. "Why are you helping me?"

"Well, to be frank with you Kurosaki-kun, you're a very interesting individual. For the past two months you were as strong as a seated officer, running on borrowed powers. Now that those borrowed powers are gone, your own previously hidden reiatsu has awakened."

_So that's how I was able to see the plus souls that Rukia told me about_. A pang of pain lanced through him as he thought about Rukia. _Wait. If I have spiritual powers of my own, that means…_

"Looks like you've realized it, Kurosaki-kun. That's right. You have the potential to become a shinigami, and a rather powerful one, if your amount of reiatsu is any indication of your power."

A thrill of excitement ran through Ichigo. _I can still be a shinigami! I can still have the power to protect!_ _I can fix the mistakes that I made. I can save Rukia. _He looked straight in Urahara's eyes, determination etched in his face. "Train me, Urahara-san."

#

"WHOAA! WHAT'S THIS GIANT CAVERN DOING UNDER MY SHOP?" Urahara yelled in an overly dramatic voice.

_Well, this explains the feeling I got when I first came here. Who would've thought that he were hiding something like this all this time? _Ichigo sweat-dropped at the shopkeeper's antics. "Oi, geta-boushi! You don't have to act all surprised for me. I knew this was here all along."

#

"Alright, stage one of training! You get to fight… her!" Urahara said, pointing at the girl named Ururu.

"The hell is wrong with you, geta-boushi? I can't fight a little girl!"

_SMASH!_ "OH SHIT!"

_#_

"Stage two of training!"

Urahara poked Ichigo's head with his cane, ejecting his soul from his body. This time, instead of his shinigami form, he was connected to his body with a long chain attached to his chest. Urahara nodded at Tessai, a burly man with a huge curly mustache wearing an apron. Producing a giant ax from nowhere, the man proceeded to cut the chain.

"What the hell, geta-boushi! You know that you just basically killed me, right!"

Urahara only smiled, hiding his face behind his fan. "Okay, Kurosaki-kun! Prepare yourself for stage two, the Shattered Shaft!" He pointed dramatically into the distance, and Ichigo looked where he was pointing. Suddenly, a huge hole appeared beneath him and he fell, screaming, to the bottom.

Looking down into the hole, Urahara called to Ichigo, "That hole speeds up the decay of your soul chain. You should get out of there before it decays fully, or else you'll become a hollow!"

"DAMMIT, GETA-BOUSHI! I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

#

A howl reverberated out from the hole. Urahara looked in and saw a white substance covering the form of Ichigo. "Oh dear, looks like it's started."

Ichigo found himself seated on the side of a glass skyscraper. Looking around at his surroundings, he found himself in a bizarre world filled with skyscrapers. _Gravity seems to be inverted. Clearly the regular rules of physics don't fit here. That means this isn't in the physical world, it's a spiritual plane. Most likely my own inner world. _

"Ichigo." Hearing a voice call his name, he turned as saw a man standing on a pole nearby. He was wearing a ragged cloak and dark glasses, and boasted a short beard.

"Who are you, _ossan_? And what are you doing in my inner world?"

"I'm disappointed in you, Ichigo. You of all people should know exactly who I am."

"You're the spirit of my zanpakutou, right?"

"That's right, Ichigo."

Suddenly, gravity shifted back to normal and Ichigo began to fall. Instinctively solidifying the spirit particles beneath his feet, he stood upright. "Ossan, what's going on? Why is my inner world falling apart?" Before his eyes, the skyscrapers began dissolving into thousands of boxes.

"Your soul is hollowfying, being consumed by the decay of your soul chain. You must overpower this hollowfication. Now that your inner world is collapsing, it's time for you to call my name and receive my power. My power is hidden inside one of these boxes. You must find it before it is too late."

Ichigo grunted. _I'm doing this for Rukia_, he reminded himself.Focusing, he felt through the spiritual pressures of all the boxes. Pinpointing one whose reiatsu was different from all the others, he flashed towards it. The box fell open, revealing the handle of a zanpakutou. Wrapping his fingers around the hilt, he gave a mighty tug. _For Rukia!_

#

"Manager! I don't think _kin_ can hold him! I'm going to have to use _bankin_ to seal him, or he will kill us all!"

The hollowfying form of Ichigo was wrapped in white bandages, stabbed by metal rods, and smashed a giant metal cube from above. Urahara looked on in interest and a little apprehension as all was silent.

An explosion rang out from the bottom of the hole, dust rising and blinding all the onlookers on ground level. When it cleared the figure of Ichigo clad in shinigami clothing but wearing a hollow mask was standing at the edge of the hole. A giant cleaver wrapped in white bandages was strapped to his back.

The hollow Ichigo slowly drew the cleaver from his back. Urahara gestured for the children and Tessai to stand back. His cane morphed into a blade, which he held in a fighting stance, preparing to fight Ichigo.

With a deafening _CRACK_ Ichigo used the cleaver to shatter the hollow mask. Letting the shards fall to the ground, Ichigo pointed the cleaver at Urahara. "Alright, geta-boushi. You are so dead.."

"Now, now Kurosaki-san. Don't be so hasty. It looks like you've recovered your shinigami powers, and even achieved shikai. That's very impressive. Can you seal your blade?"

Ichigo looked at the giant cleaver that was the shikai form of his zanpakutou. It had a sort of deadly elegance to it, and Ichigo felt innately complete with it in his grasp. Focusing on suppressing his reiatsu, he pulled spiritual energy from the blade. It glowed for a moment and then shrank, turning into a normal-looking katana. The hilt was wrapped in black leather. The _tsuba_, the guard, was oval-shaped, with intricate swirling flame designs etched on the surface. The most unique part of the katana was the blade, which was completely black. It was somewhat longer than a normal katana, and a sheath materialized on his back to accommodate for the long blade.

Nodding in satisfaction, Ichigo turned to Urahara. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "Well, now that I've got my shinigami powers back and achieved shikai, what's next? I'm not strong enough to face Kuchiki Byakuya yet, I can feel it. So what now? What do I do to get even stronger?"

Urahara morphed his sword back into a cane and covered his face with his fan again. Although he didn't show it, he was completely astonished at Ichigo's progress. In seventy hours, he had regained his shinigami powers and attained shikai, and had successfully suppressed the hollow that his soul had been threatening to become. If Urahara had to give an accurate description of Ichigo's powers in one word, the word that he would pick would be "genius."

"The next step, Kurosaki-kun, is to learn _bankai_." It would be very interesting to see exactly how quickly Ichigo was able to learn something this difficult. It took six years for a student at the Academy to learn the basic shinigami arts: _zanjutsu, kidou, hohou, _and _hakuda. _Ichigo had basically mastered them all in his first few minutes as a shinigami. It generally took captains ten years to master their bankai. Urahara estimated that with Ichigo's growth rate, combined with his natural aptitude for the shinigami arts, it would take less than a week. _You are a very interesting character, Kurosaki-kun. Very interesting._

#

Ichigo panted in exhaustion. He collapsed on the floor of the cavern beneath the Urahara Shouten. After three straight days of fighting with his zanpakutou spirit, he had finally managed to defeat the grizzled man in black.

"_You have bankai now, Ichigo. Congratulations, I'm proud to call myself your zanpakutou."_

_Thanks, ossan. Thanks to you, I have the power to protect. Now, let's go save Rukia!_

Suddenly, Ichigo felt very tired. Three full days of fighting had severely drained his spiritual power. _Well, I can't save Rukia in this state. I should probably rest for a day or so._ _Urahara said that Rukia was to be executed thirty days after she was brought back, and it's only been a few days. But I can't take any chances with this. I will rest, then I'm going to save Rukia. I swore on my life that nobody would be harmed if I could prevent it. And with this power, I can definitely prevent it. _

As he lay on the ground, Ichigo wondered, _Why am I trying so hard to rescue Rukia? I promised to protect her. But why go to such lengths? Because I made a promise to her. So why am I trying so hard to keep that promise? _

As Ichigo tried to figure out his feelings, a thought occurred to him. _Rukia… I want to protect Rukia. Why do I want to protect Rukia? I want to protect my family because I love them. Then that means… I want to protect Rukia because… because I…_

His last thought was cut off as he fell into merciful unconsciousness.

#

Aaand we're back! Ichigo's training to get his shinigami powers back, along with his bankai training, were greatly abbreviated, since I didn't want to just put the manga into written form. The training was more or less canon, except it took shorter time since Ichigo knew what to do due to his genius. Sorry if it seemed really rushed, I basically condensed several chapters of the manga into a few thousand words. But I just didn't feel that it was necessary to go into detail about the training.

I was debating whether to release this early or not, since I finished it earlier than I had expected. I decided that I would, and instead change my update schedule. From now on, you can expect an update at the beginning of the week (Monday-ish) and another one at the end of the week (Friday-ish), rather than mid-week and the end of the weekend.

Almost a hundred reviews! I'm so excited for the hundredth review, it's a huge milestone in the journey of writing this story. When I first got this idea, I totally wasn't expecting for it to have such amazing reception. I can't thank all of you enough for that.

In case any of you are wondering, Ichigo already knows about zanpakutou spirits, shikai, and bankai and the training associated with them. He's a genius, after all. He has an extensive knowledge of the duties and abilities of a shinigami.

Also, you may have noticed that Ichigo finished bankai training _before_ he went to Soul Society initially. This means that at this point the plot of this story is going to diverge from the events of canon, and things will spiral into the deep dark abyss of my imagination. Prepare yourselves, it's going to be a crazy ride!

Next chapter: the Invasion of Soul Society! Stay tuned for the next update, which should come in half a week!

Thanks for reading, please drop a review if you have the time, preferably with constructive criticism, and I'll see you guys next time!

~fokker333

#

If you are reading this, I have gone back and edited this story. I read through it and decided that some parts were pretty bad, so I changed it. If you read the un-edited version, you probably felt that it was rushed, particularly when Rukia was taken back to Soul Society. I've gone back and tweaked a few things, so hopefully it's a bit better now.

Actually, this whole edit was inspired by your review, **Eradona**. When I read it, I realized exactly how right you were about that whole scene. So I redid it. Hopefully it's up to par with your expectations!

Also, thanks to **G96 Saber** for being the 100th reviewer! Wow, this story has come so far from its rather humble beginnings as a little seed of an idea growing in my mind. I simply cannot thank you all enough for supporting me to this point.

Please, if you have time, do leave some helpful comments or constructive criticism. But no flames please!

~fokker333


	9. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

"Alright, Kurosaki-kun!" Urahara said cheerily, fanning himself as usual. "I've prepared a specialized _senkaimon_ for you to go to Soul Society. You see, normally senkai gates only work for spiritual beings. Although for you this won't be a problem, since you already have a spiritual form, your friends would have a significant setback in this regards."

Uryu and Chad stood flanking Ichigo as he faced Urahara. Ichigo had asked them why they wanted to come with them. After all, they barely knew Rukia.

"_I'm coming with you not because I want to save Kuchiki-san, although doing so would be a plus in my book. I'm coming with you because you're a friend and comrade, and I would never let you do something so dangerous by yourself." Then Uryu had realized what he had just said and blushed slightly. He coughed, "Of course, going to Soul Society also is the perfect opportunity to find out which shinigami it was that allowed by grandfather to die. And if I find him, I will kill him."_

"_I've promised to watch your back, Ichigo." This simple sentence from Chad was enough to convince Ichigo of the Mexican teen's motivation for coming._

"So, being the brilliant inventor genius that I am, I have attached a special reishi converter to the senkai gate. The converter takes your physical body and converts them into spiritual particles, which retain their form around your soul. This allows you to travel into Soul Society without your physical body disintegrating to dust and your soul being ripped apart in a very painful manner."

_So unnecessary, _Ichigo thought. _Does this man ever just get to the point? _"So, geta-boushi," Ichigo said. "I noticed when Abarai and Kuchiki-taicho came to the living world, they exited the gate accompanied by a pair of black butterflies. What's that all about?"

"Ah, I'm glad you brought it up, Kurosaki-kun," Urahara said. "You see, when shinigami travel between Soul Society and the human world, they enter another dimension called the _Dangai_, the precipice world. It's rather difficult to navigate, and so shinigami must use the butterflies that you saw, the hell butterflies, as guides as they travel the Dangai. Unfortunately, we don't have access to the hell butterflies here at the Urahara Shouten. However, we have the next best thing."

The black cat Ichigo had seen the first time he had visited to the shop appeared from view. Back then he had had suspicions about this cat, and they were confirmed as the cat opened its mouth."

"My name is Yoruichi. I will guide you through the Dangai. You must be careful, though. There are several defense mechanisms in the Dangai that could keep you trapped in between worlds forever, and trust me, you wouldn't want that to happen."

Ichigo knelt down, examining the talking cat. "You aren't really a cat, are you?" he asked, curiosity piqued. "Your reiatsu feels a lot more like a shinigami's. Perhaps you were exiled from Soul Society as well, along with Urahara-san over there? And your reiatsu is distinctively feminine. I wonder why your voice is like this in cat form."

The cat's golden eyes peered deep into Ichigo's amber ones. "You're a perceptive one, aren't you, Ichigo. How did you come to the conclusion that Urahara was an exile?"

Ichigo smirked. "That was astoundingly easy to figure out. There are a few of his inventions that if discovered by the Soul Society would have caused him to be forced into exile. The reiatsu-draining gigai that you gave Rukia, for one."

This time, Urahara visibly flinched. Turning to him, Ichigo asked, a tinge of anger evident in his voice. "So, tell me, Urahara-san. Why exactly did you give a reiatsu-draining gigai to Rukia? I'm not an idiot, far from it. I am quite aware that sitting in that gigai for a long enough time would have caused all of Rukia's powers to disappear. She would become human. Why would you do such a thing?"

Urahara tried to cover up his lapse by laughing loudly. "Ah, Kurosaki-kun. You really are a genius. Yes, it's true that I gave Kuchiki-san a reiatsu-draining gigai. It's true that I am an exile from Soul Society. However, we are not here to discuss the legality of some of my less savory actions. We're here to get the three of you to Soul Society to rescue Kuchiki-san."

With a casual smirk on his face, Urahara remarked, "Last I heard, Central 46 had her execution moved up a week. You have a week and a half now to save her, Kurosaki-kun. Let's not dally time now."

Ichigo was annoyed at the infuriated man wearing a striped bucket hat in front of him. "Alright, geta-boushi. First, I'm going to rescue Rukia. Then, I'm going to get to the bottom of this matter. And finally, if I don't like what I hear, I will punish you. Got that?"

"Crystal clear, Kurosaki-kun! Now, into the gate you go!" With a smile and a cheery wave, he watched the substitute shinigami, the Quincy, the human with hollow powers and the cat enter the gate. The smile faded from his face as the gate closed behind them. Urahara frowned to himself. "Very interesting, Kurosaki-kun. _Very_ interesting."

#

Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad found themselves in a long narrow corridor. The walls were some sort of squishy substance. "Those are the restrictive currents," Yoruichi the cat called to them. "If you touch them they'll bind you in place for the Cleaner to dispose of. You don't want that to happen."

A rumbling sound echoed from far behind them. Ichigo and his companions turned to see a massive dense blob of _something_, with a single glowing light shining in front of it, rapidly approaching the quartet. "And _that_," Yoruichi said, tilting her head in the thing's direction, "is the Cleaner. If it catches you, you'll be forcefully ejected from the Dangai. We don't want that to happen, so RUN!"

The three humans and took off at a sprint, following the form of the cat who had somehow gotten in front of them. Ichigo noticed something and hollered, "Why the hell are the walls closing in?"

Yoruichi called back at them, "Those are the restrictive currents! If you so much as touch the walls, you'll be stuck here!"

Hearing this caused the three teens to pick up the pace. Finally, a patch of light came into view at the end of the long dark passageway. "Almost there!" Yoruichi yelled. Putting on a final burst of speed, the three teens and the cat burst through the doors.

#

Groaning and holding his rather bruised head, Ichigo said in annoyance, "You never told us that the gate opens in midair!" Beside him, Uryu and Chad nursed similar bruises.

"You never asked, and I deemed the information unimportant compared to the stuff you need to know regarding Rukia's rescue."

The teens stopped groaning in pain and looked at her. This information took priority.

"Rukia is currently being held in the Tower of Penitence." Yoruichi pointed at the tall tower next to the giant cliff in the middle of the Seireitei. The four of them had dropped out of the Dangai in the First district of West Rukongai, _Junrinan_. "In order to get there, we need to get inside the Seireitei first. The walls surrounding it are made of _sekisekki_, bloodlust stone. It absorbs reiatsu and is extremely heavy and strong, so we can't simply break through. There are four gates in the walls, one in each district of Rukongai. Since we are in West Rukongai, we will be entering the Seireitei through the West gate.

"Each gate is guarded by a giant, who has pledged eternal allegiance to the Seireitei. In order to enter the gate, unless one has the authority to order them, one must defeat the guardian. I happen to know the guardian of the West gate very well. However, I cannot ask him to open the gate. The guardians are fiercely loyal, but they also have a strong sense of honor. If you defeat them, they will let you through."

"So all I have to do is beat one of these giant guardians? Sounds easy enough," Ichigo quipped with a confident smirk. It was wiped from his face when Uryu smacked him on the back of the head.

"Shut up, Ichigo. Honestly, sometimes you're just too cocky for your own good." Turning to Yoruichi, the Quincy tilted his head politely. "Is there anything else, Yoruichi-san, or can we get started on this rescue then?"

Yoruichi said, "There is one more thing. If you encounter a captain-class fighter, do NOT by any means stay and fight them. You must remember: we're here to rescue Rukia. Getting slaughtered by a captain will not help in achieving that goal in any way shape or form. Got it?"

The three teens nodded. "Then let's go. Follow me!" Yoruichi flashed away, the teens following close behind.

#

_Wow. When Yoruichi-san said giants, she really did mean giants_, Ichigo thought as he stared at the rather large man standing in front of the West Gate of the Seireitei.

"Intruders shall not gain entry to the Seireitei!" The giant boomed. Drawing an ax, he declared to the small group in front of him, "I am Ikkanzaka Jidanbou, guardian of the West Gate. I have not lost a fight in over three hundred years! If you intruders do not return to where you come from, my hand shall be forced!"

Ichigo groaned silently. _For kami's sake, are all the people in Soul Society this pompous? _Drawing the pitch-black katana from the sheath on its back, he gestured for Uryu and Chad to stand back. As the massive ax whistled through the air at Ichigo, he swung the katana above his head with one hand. The ax hit, kicking up a cloud of dust.

When the dust cleared, Ichigo was standing, easily blocking the blow with his zanpakutou. The blow was by no means soft; Ichigo's feet had been driven two inches into the ground as the force of the strike dissipated.

"What's this? You blocked my blow?" Jidanbou sounded mildly impressed. "For intruders, you are indeed strong." Drawing another ax, he said, "Then I will show you the honor of dying to this technique! _Ten Thousand Year Jidan Hit Festival!_"

With a massive shout, Jidanbou swung both his axes down in a massive simultaneous strike. The resulting dust cloud was triple the size of the original one. When this cloud cleared, Ichigo had both hands on his zanpakutou, but still easily blocked the blow. When the giant pulled back his axes for another strike, Ichigo flashed into the air in front of him.

Pointing an index finger at either ax, Ichigo shouted, "Bakudou no. 4, _hainawa!_" Glowing yellow ropes of spiritual energy slithered from his fingers, wrapping themselves around the axes. Grinning slightly, Ichigo called to the giant gatekeeper, "Sorry, Jidanbou-san. I'm going to have to destroy your axes!" In two quick flash-steps, the blades of both axes were reduced to dust.

Staring in bewilderment at the spot where the ax heads used to be, Jidanbou lamented, "My axes! My wonderful axes are destroyed!" Tears began forming in the corners of his eyes.

Ichigo groaned again. _Not only pompous, but overdramatic as well. I don't know if I'm going to like it here in Soul Society when I die. Oh wait. I am dead. That bastard geta-boushi cut my soul chain. Dammit Urahara_. Rolling his eyes in exasperation,, Ichigo called to the crying giant. "Jidanbou-san, when I've finished my business in the Seireitei I shall have your axes remade, and they will be much faster and better than your old ones. This I swear."

His words surprised the giant so much that the flow of tears immediately ceased. "Really? Even after you've defeated me, you would show me mercy?"

Smiling at the defeated giant, Ichigo said, "Of course, Ikkanzaka-san. After all, even in battle one must have some sense of honor, right? If not, then what makes us any different from mindless killing machines? Honor is the difference between a warrior and a barbarian."

Jidanbou said, "Thank you, boy. You have defeated me in battle, and honor dictates that I now open the gate for you." Turning, the giant gripped the bottom of the giant gate and with a mighty roar heaved them open. Standing with sweat pouring down his face, the giant said to Ichigo, "Now, hurry through and finish what you came here for!"

Ichigo nodded his thanks to the guardian and the three teenagers and the cat ran through the gate.

#

"Man, the Seireitei really have to be more organized in their street planning. Sheesh! It'll be easier for us to reach the Tower of Penitence if we just walk through the air to it!" Ichigo complained as the group sped through the mazelike roads that made up the Seireitei.

Uryu only grinned at the substitute shinigami's annoyance, and Chad grunted in agreement. Suddenly, the group ground to a halt as they saw a figure facing them. The man was bizarre in appearance, his face heavily coated in makeup and wearing the strangest hat Ichigo had ever seen, including geta-boushi's bucket hat.

"Why, hello there, intruders," the man said in a voice sent shivers down the spines of the three teens. "What a pleasure to meet you. It's about time we had some fresh meat here, I've run out dissection subjects for a while and I've been told that fellow shinigami are not good dissection subjects. You fellows have come just in time!"

The let his eyes wander over each individual of the group. "My, my. You _are_ very interesting indeed. A werecat," he said, looking at Yoruichi, "a substitute shinigami," staring at Ichigo, "a human with hollow powers," this at Chad, "and - oh my. This is quite the treat. A Quincy!" he said, staring hungrily at Uryu. "I haven't had a Quincy to dissect in almost ten years! The last one was an old man, kept babbling on about how Quincy should work with shinigami and cooperate and some such nonsense. He was an interesting one to dissect, but alas he didn't last very long."

Beside him, Ichigo felt Uryu stiffen. Calling out to the creepy man, Ichigo asked, "Who are you?"

The man laughed eerily. "Well, the better question is 'who are _you,_' intruders? But I suppose since you asked first I will dignify your question with an answer. I am Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Captain of the Twelfth Division and President of the Department of Research and Development."

_Crap, a captain! Not good. I could probably beat him, but if he's some sort of crazy scientist then I'll be hard pressed, not to mention all the weird tricks he probably has stored up his sleeve. _Whispering out of the side of his mouth to his companions, Ichigo said urgently, "Let's get out of here, we can't afford to waste time with him, we have to save Rukia!"

Uryu replied, "You three go on ahead. This man knows something about the fate of my grandfather. I need to have some words with him."

Seeing that no amount of words were going to convince the stubborn Quincy otherwise, Ichigo said to Chad and Yoruichi, "Let's go." The three sped off in another direction, and Uryu faced Mayuri with a serious expression.

"Tell me about this old Quincy," he commanded.

"My my, so impatient," Mayuri murmured. "But no matter. I shall be pleased to discuss one of my favorite dissections of all time-" He was cut off and had to twist to one side as a glowing blue arrow whizzed by his head.

Uryu stood with a blue and white-striped longbow, reishi arrow at the ready. "Enough banter. What was his name?"

Mayuri tsked. "Very well. If you are so impatient for such information, I suppose I shall give it to you. If I recall correctly, the old Quincy's name was…" he tapped a pale finger against his chin, as if trying to remember. "Ishida Souken."

Uryu ground his teeth at the name "Thank you. That's all I need to know." Disappearing in the Quincy equivalent of a flash-step, he appeared behind the captain, sending a hail of arrows at the scientist's back. Dodging to the side, Mayuri drew his zanpakutou from its sheath. "Rip, Ashisogi Jizou." The zanpakutou morphed into a golden deformed trident, the hilt turning into a baby's head.

Blocking three more arrows shot at him, Mayuri flashed at the Quincy, striking with the strange blade. Uryu flashed out of the way, but Mayuri managed to score a light strike on the Quincy's left arm. Dropping out of the flash step, Uryu tried to raise his arm to summon another arrow, but found that he couldn't move it.

"Figured it out, have you?" Mayuri sneered. "My zanpakutou's shikai power severs the neural impulses from an area of the body to the brain, paralyzing it. Your power is now nullified. You don't stand a chance, Quincy. Now, be nice and let me dissect you while you're still alive."

Flashing towards the wounded Quincy, Mayuri slashed his zanpakutou down again, scoring Uryu from shoulder to waist in a shallow cut. His entire body was now paralyzed, and Uryu cursed. Mayuri laughed his cackling laugh, resealing his zanpakutou. "You know, that last Quincy that I dissected, Ishida Souken, he kept babbling about his apprentice and grandson. He even showed me a picture, the fool. I wonder where that grandson is now? It's a pity he wasn't there to save the fool from the hollows…" He laughed again.

Uryu saw red at these words, and his body began glowing with reiatsu. "Shut up. Don't you _dare_ speak of my grandfather that way." Forcing his body upright, he raised his bow. "I swear, on the pride of the Quincy, _on my pride_, I swear I will kill you!"

Mayuri was rendered speechless. "Impossible. How could you possibly move? All of your neural impulses have been cut off from your brain, there's no way you could even twitch!"

Ishida smirked. "Ransoutengai. I can control my body using reishi threads, like a puppet." He ripped off the blue and white glove he had been wearing on his bow hand. "Now, let me show you the ultimate Quincy power:_ Letzt Stil._"

In an explosion of reiatsu, Ishida's power skyrocketed. Mayuri stared as the buildings around them disintegrated. "You- you're absorbing reishi! All the buildings in Soul Society are made of reishi, and you're just breaking apart the bonds holding them together and converting them into power? Impossible! I've dissected over two thousand Quincy and I've never seen this power before!"

Uryu's eyes narrowed. "Over two thousand, you said? Even more reason to kill you then." His bow transformed into a massive glowing arc of spiritual energy."

Mayuri swore. "Bankai! Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou!" In an explosion of red reiatsu, his zanpakutou materialized into a giant caterpillar-like creature with a baby's head. But before he could order his bankai to take any action, Uryu fired.

The greatly enhanced shot of reishi tore straight through the massive bankai, destroying it completely and returning Mayuri's zanpakutou to its shikai state. Mayuri could only stare in shock as he was defeated.

Uryu flashed directly in front of the stunned mad scientist. Preparing a giant arrow, he said coolly, "Kurotsuchi Mayuri, for the crimes you have committed against the Quincy, you will die. Your soul shall be destroyed completely, never to join the cycle of reincarnation ever again." He fired.

#

Ichigo, Chad, and Yoruichi ran through the streets of Seireitei, their sights set on their destination, the Tower of Penitence. As they approached, a man wearing a straw hat and pink flowered kimono over his captain's haori flashed in front of them.

"Dear me, such a ruckus over a few intruders," he drawled in a laidback voice. "You fellows have caused quite the uproar, you know. Now, why don't you stop and we can have a nice little talk, work out all the misunderstandings that I'm sure have occurred. You all seem like nice young people, you don't seem like you would want to threaten Soul Society or the Seireitei, right?"

Ichigo eyed the man cautiously. He could see by the white haori beneath the pink kimono that the man was a captain. He saw a katana and a _wakizashi_, a short sword, tucked in the man's obi, which piqued his interest slightly. _A daisho zanpakutou pair? I wonder how that works. Are there two spirits, or are then split between the blades? _

Shaking his head and smiling a rueful smile, Ichigo said to the man, "Sorry, captain. But although I would like to settle this peacefully, I have to go save Rukia. I can see that you aren't going to let us through without a fight, though." He turned to Chad. "Can I trust you to take this one?"

Chad nodded the affirmative.

"Good. I'll leave him to you then." Ichigo and Yoruichi flashed off, leaving Chad facing the new captain. Materializing Brazo Derecha de Gigante, Chad charged at the captain with an El Directo.

Tsking slightly, the captain draw the katana of his daisho sword pair. "Youngsters these days, always so eager for a fight."

#

"Intruders have broken into the Seireitei. Their goal is apparently to rescue Kuchiki Rukia."

"Is that so? Fascinating. Reschedule the execution to tomorrow. We shall see exactly what these intruders can do."

"Yes, sir. Your wish shall be carried out."

#

Rukia sat in her cell in the Tower of Penitence, gazing absentmindedly at the strip of light shining through the single vertical narrow window in her cell. She heard footsteps approaching, and she looked up as a guard walked up to the entrance of her cell. "The date of your execution has been moved up until tomorrow." Having said his piece, the guard left.

Rukia went back to gazing at the light. _Tomorrow, huh. I have no regrets. I grew up in the Rukongai, where I met Renji, who became my closest friend. I attended the Academy, where I learned to fight. Then, I was adopted into the Kuchiki family. I became a member of the Thirteenth division, where I met Ukitake-taicho, who was a father to me more than anyone in my life. It was there also that I met… Kaien. _She paused at that name. _Kaien. My superior, mentor, and teacher. After he passed, I lost hope. For fifty years I was a machine. But then I was sent to the human world, where I met an amazing human, a human with the most determination and strength than anyone I've ever met, and a pure heart. I gave my powers to him, enabled him to save his family. And now I will die for doing it. But, I still have no regrets. Ichigo… he's strong. He was strong with his shinigami powers, and he will be strong without them. I know that he'll be fine without me. And yet… why does my heart hurt so much when I think of him? _

A lone tear trickled down her cheek. _What is this I'm feeling? Every time I think of that orange-haired genius, I feel so… warm. I don't regret living my life, but why am I beginning to regret leaving him behind? _She wiped away the tear, gazing at the dampness in her palm. She recalled his words as he stood there in the rain, pouring out his heart to her. _"Nobody else is going to get hurt as long as I'm there and I can do something to stop it. I swear this on my life."_

Rukia smiled ruefully. _He must be beating himself up for failing to protect me. But, just like with his mother, he will recover. He will learn from his failures, and he will grow and be able to protect even better than before. He is a genius, after all. _But despite her reassurances to herself, Rukia knew deep down that he would come after her.

"_I told you already, Ichigo. Don't try to come after me. There's no point. You're just going to end up dying if you do! So just lie there and stop trying to help me! You can't help me, Ichigo!" Her voice cracked ever so slightly. The tiniest bit of emotion, a mix of sadness and fear and resignation, colored her voice. "So just stay still and maybe you can live a little longer! I don't want you to die, Ichigo! But there really is nothing you can do. I'm past saving, Ichigo. My fate has been decided." _

Rukia recalled her last words to him. She remembered the pain and sorrow in his amber eyes as she berated him. And for the first time in fifty years, Rukia cried.

#

Hello everybody! As you can see, the action is beginning here! You may have noticed that things are beginning to diverge from canon events. Firstly, Gin was not there at the gate to face Ichigo after he beat Jidanbou. As a result, Ichigo and his group were able to enter Seireitei. This means that things are accelerating from this point onward.

Second, Orihime is not part of their group. Please note that this will most likely _not_ be permanent, Orihime will most likely end up with powers. But she will play no role in the Invasion of Soul Society Arc.

Thirdly, there are some changes in Rukia's character. It may seem OOC for her to be crying while thinking about Ichigo in the Tower of Penitence, but this is because she's beginning to realize her own feelings about Ichigo.

Fourthly, you many have noticed that in Ishida's fight with Mayuri, Nemu was not present. As a result, the outcome of that fight will be different, which will change greatly what happens after Aizen makes his move.

Thank you to everyone who took the poll, reviewed, or PM'ed me regarding my question whether or not Orihime should have powers. You guys gave me a lot of interesting suggestions and ideas, and as good as some of them are, I already have decided what to do with Orihime. So sorry to disappoint those who gave me suggestions, but I appreciate your help!

Next chapter: enter the one and only Hitsugaya Toushiro! Stay tuned to find out the changes as Hitsugaya confronts the villains in the midst of the slaughtered Central 46!

Thank you all for supporting me up to this point, if you have a few seconds please leave a nice review! Thanks for reading, and I'll catch you all later!

~fokker333


	10. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

Hinamori Momo, vice-captain of the Fifth Division, hummed a cheery tune as she made her way to the Fifth Division barracks from her home. She had a feeling that today was going to be a good day. She was happy. Hinamori served under who she thought was the best captain in the Gotei 13, Aizen Sosuke. She was respected by her subordinates and friendly with many of the high-ranked officers of the Gotei. She broke out into a wide smile as she neared her barracks. Nothing could ruin her good mood.

As she walked up the road that led to the main barracks of her division, a morbid sight caught her eye. She sucked in a breath as she saw a bloody figure pinned by a zanpakutou to the outside wall of the barracks. _Who is that? Who could possibly commit such a gruesome crime, and outside of the Fifth Division to boot?_

Hinamori was no stranger to blood and death, and so without fear she approached the bloody figure on the wall to get a closer look. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she saw who the victim of the bloody murder was. "N-no. It c-can't be!" Despite her repeated denials and attempts to convince herself that what she saw before her was an illusion, she was unable to deny the fact that her beloved captain was the very man pinned to the wall, his lifeblood dripping down and painting the building a morbid red, with his own zanpakutou.

"AIZEN-TAICHO!" Her anguished screams tore through the Seireitei, attracting the attention of not only various other high-ranking shinigami but also piqued the interest of one orange-haired genius.

In a flurry of flash-steps, three vice-captains, two captains, various seated and unseated shinigami, and the aforementioned orange-haired genius appeared behind Hinamori. A collective gasp rose from the assembled crowd as they beheld the gruesome sight before them. Sobbing, Hinamori crumpled to her knees. Here was the man who had saved her from hollows when she had been in the Academy, the man who had accepted her into his squad and helped train her until she had risen to the strength of a vice-captain, a man whom she had believed was the strongest shinigami she had ever met, slain.

The assembled vice-captains whispered among themselves, trying to figure out who could possibly defeat Aizen-taicho, and who would want to. Aizen had been a kind man, with few enemies. He was known as the most kind-hearted captain in the Gotei 13. This tragedy was difficult for them to comprehend.

In the crowd of various unimportant shinigami, the orange-haired genius narrowed his eyes. He looked at the spot where all the assembled shinigami were looking, but all he saw was a single zanpakutou stabbed into the wall. It wasn't even a particularly peculiar zanpakutou; in fact, it looked utterly unimportant. Ichigo wondered what all the fuss was about.

_These shinigami seem to think that there's a person, this 'Aizen' character, pinned to the wall on the zanpakutou. Aizen… he's the captain of the Fifth division, that's what Rukia told me. So that girl kneeling there crying would be Hinamori Momo, the vice-captain of the Fifth division. It's clear that these people are under an illusion of some sort. _Ichigo thought for a bit, running the possibilities through his considerably large brain. _The zanpakutou is key. I need to figure out what the zanpakutou's special ability is._

Pushing his way out of the crowd, he made his way to the small group of captains and vice-captains. Taking note of their haori and vice-captain's armbands, he quickly identified the high-ranking shinigami gathered there. _Ichimaru Gin, captain of the Third division. He looks like a snake. Hitsugaya Toushiro, captain of the Tenth division, hailed as a prodigy. It'll be interesting meeting him, I think. Matsumoto Rangiku, vice-captain of the Tenth division. Rukia failed to mention that she was rather… well-endowed. Hisagi Shuuhei, vice-captain of the Ninth division. He has '69' tattooed on his cheek. Kinky. And Izuru Kira, vice-captain of the Third division. He looks emo._

Reaching the group, he inclined his head in respect as he passed them. Walking up to the crying Hinamori, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hinamori-fukutaicho, if I may inquire, what was Aizen-taicho's zanpakutou's shikai ability?"

Speaking through her sobs, Hinamori replied in a shaking voice, "Aizen-taicho's zanpakutou, Kyoka Suigetsu, had the ability to bend water droplets in the air to create reflections, causing his opponents to become disoriented."

Ichigo smiled grimly. _I thought it would be something like that. This Aizen is obviously lying, the nature of the illusion isn't with water droplets, but rather with the senses. If its illusions were made with water droplets, I would be subject to the illusions also. Rather, it probably has to do with manipulating people's senses, causing them to see whatever Aizen wants them to see. This Aizen is up to something fishy. I don't like it._

Quickly deciding on his next course of action, Ichigo flashed next to the white-haired captain of the Tenth division. He whispered in the prodigy's ears so that none of the others could hear, "Hitsugaya-taicho, Kurotsuchi-taicho has a private message for you, regarding the intruders in the Seireitei." Ichigo had felt the malevolent reiatsu of the creepy Twelfth division captain disappear a few hours ago, so he figured that Uryu had already defeated him, so it would be safe to use him as an excuse to talk with Hitsugaya.

Nodding tersely, Hitsugaya acknowledged Ichigo's words. Approaching Hinamori, he laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hinamori, we should get Aizen's body down from the wall." Leaning in close to her, he whispered into her ear, "Don't worry, bed-wetter Momo. It's going to be okay."

He looked to Ichigo, who nodded and flashed away. Hitsugaya flashed after him, following the messenger (or so he thought) to a private location. Dropping out of the flash-step in a deserted lot. Ichigo turned to the white-haired prodigy and bowed slightly.

"Hitsugaya-taicho, I've heard quite a lot about you. Allow me to say that it's an honor to finally meet you."

Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed as he looked at the orange-haired shinigami before him. "Who are you? Didn't you have a message from Kurotsuchi for me?"

Ichigo smirked slightly. "Kurotsuchi Mayuri is dead. He was killed a few hours ago by one of the intruders."

Hitsugaya's eyes widened this time. "Killed? Impossible. No intruder could possibly be powerful enough to defeat a captain of the Gotei 13!"

Ichigo's smirk widened. "Ah, Hitsugaya-taicho. That's where you are wrong. We have more than enough power to defeat a captain-level fighter in a one-on-one fight."

Hitsugaya's hand reached for the zanpakutou on his back. He noticed that the man standing before him also wore his zanpakutou in a similar manner. He drew it slowly, holding it in a fighting stance. "You're one of the intruders. Are you here to fight me, to defeat me like your comrade did Kurotsuchi? To throw the Seireitei into disarray? Was it also one of you who killed Aizen?"

Ichigo dropped the smirk from his face. It would probably only infuriate the short captain before him, causing him to make rash decisions. Ichigo wanted to gain Hitsugaya's favor without any fighting or potential bloodshed. Raising his hands to show that he had no intention of drawing his zanpakutou, he said in a placating tone, "No, no. You misunderstood me, Hitsugaya-taicho. My comrade, Ishida Uryu, is a Quincy. As a result, since the late Kurotsuchi-taicho had experimented on his countrymen and contributed to the death of his grandfather, Uryu had a score to settle with him. As for the so-called 'death' of Aizen-taicho, I take the greatest pleasure in informing you that Aizen is not, as you believe, dead."

Hitsugaya scoffed. "Impossible. I saw his body with my own eyes only a few minutes ago."

"Have you ever considered the possibility that the scene which you just witnessed was all an illusion?"

"Impossible. If it were an illusionary kidou, I would have been able to see through it immediately."

"What if the illusionary effects weren't from kidou, but rather from the zanpakutou in the wall?

Hitsugaya scoffed again. "Illusions from Kyoka Suigetsu? You heard what Hinamori said about Aizen's zanpakutou. Its ability is to create reflections from water droplets."

Ichigo wiggled his finger at these words. "Ah, but you see. When I arrived at the scene, instead of seeing what I'm sure was a rather grotesque scene in which Aizen's body was pinned to the wall with his own blade, I merely saw the zanpakutou, stuck into the wall. If Aizen's ability is to manipulate the water particles, would I not also be caught in the illusion? The logical conclusion therefore is that Aizen's zanpakutou's ability is not to manipulate water, as he led you to believe, but rather to take complete control over one's senses. Since I have not witnessed Aizen release his shikai, I would not be affected by the illusions."

Hitsugaya tried to take in all the information that this orange-haired intruder had just spewed from his mouth. Realization struck then. "So Aizen's been deceiving us this entire time!"

Ichigo nodded grimly. "You heard how Kuchiki Rukia's execution was moved up until tomorrow? I fear that Aizen is behind this whole affair. You see, I was the human to whom she gave her shinigami powers. When in the living world, we obtained a gigai for her from one Urahara Kisuke. I sensed something was off about the gigai, but I didn't realize until later exactly what was off. The gigai was sucking her reiatsu, and if she had stayed in it for too long, she would have completely lost her shinigami powers, becoming a human. Urahara had put something into the gigai, probably a powerful object, and I suspect Aizen's goal is to obtain this object. I'm not sure what it does, but knowing Urahara, it can't be anything good."

Hitsugaya nodded. "So, what are you planning to do? If Aizen betrays Soul Society, we may be led into a full-scale war."

Ichigo said, "I want you to help me stop the execution of Kuchiki Rukia."

#

Ishida Uryu had a massive headache. He groaned and opened his eyes, blinking at the harsh glare of the white light shining down on him from an unfamiliar ceiling. He saw a blurry figure out of the corner of his eye and tried to speak. "Whaaa…"

The figure jumped. It spoke in a high-pitched voice, "Oh! You're awake!" The figure moved into view, and Uryu saw a young nervous-looking shinigami standing before him.

"I'm Seventh Seat Yamada Hanatarou of the Fourth division. I'm your assigned healer."

Uryu winced as pain lanced through his head. Trying to move his hand to comfort his aching head, he found himself restrained, manacles chaining his arms and legs to the bed.

"I'm very sorry, but since you are an intruder in the Seireitei, Yamamoto-soutaicho ordered you to be restrained until the third member of your party is caught. We have your other companion, the tall one, in custody already."

"How long have I been out?"

"You've been unconscious for about four hours. When we found you, you were on the brink of death after expending almost all your reiatsu fighting Kurotsuchi-taicho."

At the mention of the name of the sadistic captain, Uryu tensed. "What happened to him? Is he dead?"

Nodding, the healer replied, "Yes, Kurotsuchi Mayuri has been confirmed dead."

Uryu relaxed. He could finally have peace of mind knowing that his grandfather had been avenged. "And how is Chad? The tall one, as you say?"

"The other intruder faced off against Kyoraku-taicho of the Eighth division and was defeated. He suffered grievous injuries and was in intensive care with Unohana-taicho for three hours. I believe that at the moment he is unconscious, but he is in no immediate danger."

Uryu breathed a sigh of relief. He himself was safe, Chad was safe, and Ichigo had not been caught yet. So far, they weren't going to be executed yet until Ichigo was caught. _Ichigo, we trust you. It's up to you to rescue Kuchiki-san and get us out of this situation now._

#

"Kyoraku-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, may I have a word with you please?" Ukitake Jushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui, senior captains of the Gotei 13, looked up from their afternoon tea to see the white-haired prodigy captain of the Tenth division standing at the door to the tea house.

Ukitake set down his tea cup and gestured for Hitsugaya to enter. "Come in, Toushiro-kun, come in." Hitsugaya accepted the invitation, closing the sliding door behind him.

"Now, Toushiro-kun, what did you want to speak with us about?" Ukitake enquired, curiosity aroused.

"We need to speak about Kuchiki Rukia's impending execution."

Kyoraku's head finally raised from his cup of sake. "Oh, what's this? Could it be that you're concerned with her fate, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

Hitsugaya snorted. "Of course not. However, you are both aware of Aizen's death earlier today?"

Ukitake nodded, looking pensive. "We've heard rumors. It's quite a tragedy, the loss of so great a captain."

Hitsugaya frowned at Ukitake's praise of the man, but continued nonetheless. "I have crucial information regarding Aizen's activities. However, I am uncertain who among the upper echelon of the Gotei 13 can be trusted with this information. As two of the senior and most experienced captains of the Gotei, I have decided to come to you first."

Even the easy-going Kyoraku was serious now. "Tell us what's on your mind, Hitsugaya-taicho. We're listening."

Hitsugaya huffed a sigh. "There are a lot of technicalities involved, actually. I'm not sure if I'm the best person to speak to you of these matters." Turning his head, he gestured to the window. "Come on in, Kurosaki-san."

In a whoosh of flash-step, Ichigo entered the building. Ukitake and Kyoraku tensed, Kyoraku's hand going to his sheathed zanpakutou, recognizing Ichigo from their initial encounter.

They were stopped by Hitsugaya, who raised a placating hand. "Relax, captains. He's with me."

Eying the young captain with concern, Ukitake said, "Toushiro-kun, he's one of the intruders. You very well know that harboring an intruder is a capital offense against the Seireitei!"

"I'm well aware of the severity of my actions, Ukitake-taicho. However, given the current circumstances I believe my actions to be necessary for the safety of Soul Society. Please, hear out what we have to say."

Deciding to believe Hitsugaya's words, the two senior captains relaxed and dropped their hands from the hilts of their zanpakutou. Seeing this, Hitsugaya breathed an inward sigh of relief. The crucial first phase, gaining the trust of these two potential allies, was successful. Gesturing to the orange-haired intruder, he said, "This is Kurosaki Ichigo. As you have successfully deduced, he is one of the three intruders who infiltrated the Seireitei a few days ago. His goal is to rescue Kuchiki Rukia from execution by the Sogyoku."

"A few hours ago, Hinamori-fukutaicho discovered what appeared to be the mutilated body of Aizen pinned to the wall of the Fifth division with his own zanpakutou. I arrived on the scene upon hearing her scream, along with Ichimaru Gin, Matsumoto Rangiku, Hisagi Shuuhei, and Izuru Kira, as well as numerous lower-ranked shinigami. We all saw what seemed to be Aizen's dead body. However, before any of us could take any action, Kurosaki Ichigo came to me from the crowd, pretending to be a messenger of the late Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who was killed earlier by one of the intruders. I followed him to a private location, where he revealed to me the crucial information which he will now relate to you."

Nodding to the orange-haired genius, the white-haired prodigy stepped back, allowing the senior captains to turn their attention to Ichigo. Ichigo straightened and began to speak. "Let me begin when I first met Kuchiki Rukia…"

#

Hinamori Momo sat, staring at her folded hands in her lap, in a jail cell. She had been detained after attacking Ichimaru Gin, suspecting him to be behind the death of her beloved captain. She looked up when the sound of footsteps echoing against the tile floor reached her ears. Matsumoto Rangiku appeared before the bars of the cell door.

"Matsumoto-san, what are you doing here?" Her voice sounded dead and emotionless. The truth was, she didn't know what to feel after the death of her captain. He had been the closest thing she had to a father, and he had been her mentor for decades. He was her friend, her confidant. She had admired him more than anything, and now he was gone.

"They found this in Aizen-taicho's office. Officially it's supposed to be turned into the ones in charge of the investigation of his murder. But these are his last words to you, and I thought you should have it." Matsumoto handed a folded piece of paper through the bars.

_A-Aizen-taicho's…last words…were to me?_ She took the paper with a trembling hand, clutching it tightly to her chest. "Thank you, Matsumoto-san," she said in a whisper, not trusting herself not to burst into tears if she spoke any louder. Withdrawing again into her emotionless shell, she sat back down, not saying anything, not wanting to read the paper while people looked on.

Matsumoto, sensing that Hinamori wanted to be left alone, said softly, "It's going to be okay, Momo-chan." She turned and walked back down the corridor, leaving Hinamori Momo alone in the dark cell.

Assured that she was finally alone, Hinamori unfolded the letter, the final words from her captain to her, and began to read. _"Dear Hinamori…"_

#

"And that's how it is."

Ichigo finished his tale and bowed respectfully to the two senior captains. Kyoraku was silent, hiding his face beneath his straw hat. Ukitake stood and began to pace, a troubled look on his face. "If Aizen-taicho is planning to betray the Soul Society, and all the orders behind Kuchiki's execution were from him, what happened to the Central 46, who were supposed to give all the orders?"

"My guess is that Aizen and his allies within the Gotei 13 have infiltrated and slaughtered the Central 46, and using his zanpakutou's abilities have created the illusion that the Central 46 are meeting and issuing orders. Most likely he planned once Rukia was executed by the Sogyoku to take possession of whatever it was he wants that's hidden in Rukia's soul, and openly declare his intentions to the Gotei 13. He probably has some sort of escape method planned, something that will prevent the Gotei 13 from interfering as he and his allies make their escape from the Seireitei."

Ukitake looked at the young intruder who had spoken in surprise. "You have a surprisingly sharp mind, young man," he said. "You seem to have given this whole situation a great amount of thought."

Ichigo ran his fingers through his hair, slightly embarrassed by the praise. "Ah, well…" _If these guys are to be my allies, I suppose there's no point keeping my abilities secret from them_. "I suppose there are a few things you should know about me. Firstly, I have achieved shikai."

Ukitake had a surprised look on his face, and Kyoraku tipped up his hat and regarded Ichigo. "My goodness, that's quite impressive of you. You've only had your own shinigami powers and you've already achieved shikai?"

Even Hitsugaya looked surprised. _They called me a prodigy in the Academy, and I was the youngest shinigami ever to become captain. Could this kid standing here before me be even stronger than me?_

"Secondly, I am a genius."

Kyoraku burst out laughing at this. A tick appeared on Ichigo's forehead. "What's so funny, Kyoraku-taicho?"

"Ah, nothing, nothing. It's funny though, don't you think? The two of you, Kurosaki-kun and Toushiro-kun, make a great pair! The orange-haired genius and the white-haired prodigy! You should make a motto or catchphrase or something!"

Both Ichigo and Hitsugaya sweat-dropped at the antics of the Eighth division captain. Ukitake only sighed. "Was there something else you wanted to say about yourself, Ichigo-kun?"

"Oh, yeah. Lastly, I have bankai."

A stunned silence permeated the room. It was Hitsugaya who first spoke. "Bankai… that's impossible… How could you possibly train hard enough to achieve bankai with your zanpakutou spirit so quickly? How long have you had your powers anyways?"

"Uh, I've had powers for about a week now. As for bankai, ossan, that is, my zanpakutou spirit, was pretty insistent that I get it."

All three captains in the room were thinking the same thing. _Could it be possible that this boy could be as strong as Yamamoto-soutaicho?_

"Anyways, enough about me. I fear that the Central 46 have been killed. We need somebody to check on the meeting place to confirm this." Ichigo turned to Hitsugaya. "Hitsugaya-taicho, can you handle that?" Hitsugaya nodded tersely in return.

"Okay, so if that's taken care of, in the event that we don't manage to rescue Rukia before the execution, we need a way to suppress or negate, or even destroy, the Sogyoku. Yoruichi-san told me of a device that the Shihoin family had that was designed to destroy the Sogyoku in the event that someone wanted to abuse its power. Can you and Kyoraku-taicho secure that device and have it ready if we need it, Ukitake-taicho?"

"Leave it to us, Ichigo-kun. But what are you going to do?" Ukitake asked.

"Out of the twelve living captains of the Gotei 13, assuming Aizen has some support in the upper echelon of the Gotei, at the moment we only have the three of you in this plan. To have a chance against Aizen and his allies, we need more support from the captains. I am going to convince Kuchiki Byakuya to join our cause."

Before any of the captains could protest, Ichigo cut them off. "I realize that you may object to this, since Kuchiki Byakuya is supporting the execution of his sister. However, please hear me out about my logic. Kuchiki-taicho is known to be very law abiding, and so it is doubtful that he would even consider siding with Aizen against the Gotei 13. It is likely that even if he is not willing to save his sister, he would be willing to help us against the traitor Aizen and his allies."

Hitsugaya nodded slowly. "I can see your logic in this decision, Kurosaki. You certainly are living up to your reputation as a genius."

"Apart from that, I need to know something else. Who among the other captains would be most sympathetic to our cause against Aizen?"

Ukitake pursed his lips, thinking. "I don't think we can count on Yamamoto-soutaicho to even consider listening to an intruder, no offense, Ichigo-kun. There's Soi Fon-taicho of the Second division and the head of the Onmitsukidou, she's known to be very strict against traitors and criminals. But I don't know if she will be willing to listen to the word of an intruder as well. Third division captain Ichimaru Gin has always creeped me out, and he was Aizen's vice-captain before he was promoted, so I wouldn't approach him. Fourth division captain Unohana Retsu is one of the oldest captains of the Gotei 13, but I'm not sure where her loyalties lie. Her patients are always her number one priority. Aizen is the Fifth division's captain, and Byakuya is the Sixth's. Komamura Saijin of the Seventh division has always been big on honor, so you might find support from him. Kyoraku is the Eighth division captain. Kaname Tousen, captain of the Ninth division, is always talking about 'justice' but I'm not sure where his loyalties are either. He's always seemed close to Aizen, so I don't want chance him telling Aizen our plans. Toushiro-kun here is the captain of the Tenth. That leaves Zaraki Kenpachi, captain of the Eleventh. He will probably join us if we promise him a good fight."

Ichigo nodded. "So that leaves us with six captains out of twelve, with three captains, including the soutaicho, who are likely to join us against Aizen once he declares his betrayal. That means Aizen's allies among the captains are likely to be Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen. I shall go and extend our alliance to Kuchiki-taicho, Komamura-taicho, and Kenpachi-taicho."

Kyoraku nodded in approval. "You are quite the strategist, Kurosaki-kun. However, a word of advice when speaking with Komamura-taicho. He and Tousen share an extremely close bond, so if possible don't mention the possibility of Tousen being a traitor. Komamura-taicho would probably not take that very well."

Ichigo nodded. "Thank you for that advice, Kyoraku-taicho. Now, we all have our own roles. Let's carry them out. Thank you for your time and consideration, captains." With a bow, he flashed away.

Kyoraku tilted his hat over his eyes. "Well, well. Kurosaki-kun is quite the interesting character. The Gotei 13 is going to have quite the adventure." In unison, the three gathered captains flashed off to carry out their various roles.

#

Hello everyone! Here's another chapter for you all! I've actually been pretty busy this past week, and this chapter was written in one single sitting. It took quite a long time. In other news, I only have one week of school left! Woo hoo! However, my summer schedule is quite busy, so I may not be able to keep up with my update schedule. I have a science research internship, a fencing camp, a music camp, and I'm going to California for my cousin's wedding. So if I miss a few scheduled updates, I'm sorry, but I can't do anything about it.

A quick shoutout to **Captain Hair**. Go check out his profile, he writes really good stories, but unfortunately they don't get the attention that I feel they deserve. Go check him out!

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please, please, if you have the time and are willing, drop a quick review, or a long review! I really appreciate the reviews, especially the longer ones in which you offer criticism or support. They make me feel all happy inside. But no flames, as usual! So thanks for reading, and I'll see you all next time!

~fokker333


	11. Author's Note

**Hey guys. I'm really sorry about this, but my grades came out today and they weren't as good as I was expecting. Also, a few other personal things came up and I'm afraid to say that I'll be taking a break from writing so I can sort all of these things out. The past few days have been hard for me, and coming ones will be even harder. So I hope you'll understand my reasons for taking a break from writing. I'm really sorry about this, but my own personal priorities come first. Hopefully I won't be gone too soon. See you next time.**

**~fokker333**


	12. Chapter 10

**Edit: It was brought to my attention that since I simply replaced my previous AN with this chapter, people who had reviewed the AN were unable to review this chapter. So I've fixed this by bringing back the previous AN and adding this chapter as a new chapter. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

Hitsugaya suppressed his reiatsu and stealthily made his way to the underground meeting place of the Central 46. His mind raced as he thought of the implications of Aizen's betrayal. _Hinamori is going to be a wreck_, he thought. _She's admired Aizen for decades, and he just ups and betrays everything that he's pretended to work for in the Soul Society. That bastard…_ He growled in his mind. He reached over and touched a hand to the hilt of his zanpakutou sheathed on his back. A reassuring chill ran through his hand and he smiled grimly. Aizen was going to regret his choice.

He walked silently up the walkway to the underground meeting compound of the Central 46. Already he noticed something was wrong. _There are no guards_, he thought. _The compound should be surrounded by guards all the time. Of course, they may have been dismissed by the Central 46 and the compound sealed in times of great crisis, but I doubt an infiltration of three intruders into the Seireitei constitutes as a crisis._ He approached the massive door and immediately noticed that it wasn't sealed. _So the Central 46 have indeed been compromised. But Aizen was sloppy about it. He left too many signs of his actions_.

Hitsugaya heard a shuffling sound of the ground behind him, and he quickly flashed out of the way so as not to be discovered. Peering through the gap, he grimaced as he saw who the approaching figure was. _Hinamori…_ _Those idiots. Didn't they realize that she's a vice-captain level fighter? She could break out of the low-security cells with no problem._ He watched as she shuffled up the walkway, head bowed, obviously still grieving for Aizen, whom she thought was dead.

Hinamori laid a hand against the cool surface of the giant door to the Central 46 compound. She thought back to Aizen-taicho's words in his last letter to her. _"Hinamori-fukutaicho, if you want answers, go to the underground meeting compound. All your questions will be resolved there." _She pushed open the door and stepped in.

Hitsugaya's concerns for the Central 46 was confirmed when no alarms sounded when the door opened. His eyes narrowed as he heard more people coming up the walkway towards the compound. Quickly suppressing his reiatsu to the maximum, he turned to look and immediately stiffened. Two tall figures, walking side by side, were approaching. He saw the captains' haori on their backs and knew. _Ichimaru Gin… and Aizen._ His angry thoughts against the traitor captains immediately vanished as a horrifying thought struck him. _Hinamori!_

Hinamori walked through the dark doorway into the underground meeting chamber of the Central 46. She frowned in confusion. The Central 46 was supposed to be in session at the moment, so why were there no guards around the complex? Why was the door unlocked? Why was the alarm disabled? She pondered these questions as she went deeper into the chamber, her destination the courtroom of the Central 46, where the most severe cases were seen. Her paced quickened subconsciously as she detected a foreign reiatsu around her.

Pushing into the courtroom, Hinamori gasped. The Central 46 was had been meeting, but their meeting had been tragically cut short, it seemed. Dark blood was splattered across the walls and the floor, and the bodies of the 46 judges, the most powerful men in the Seireitei, were lying haphazardly across the tables and their seats. "Who could have done this?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm sorry you had to see this." A familiar voice rang out through the chamber that stank of death. Hinamori spun to face the speaker, hand reaching for the zanpakutou at her waist. But all thoughts of drawing the blade vanished as she beheld a figure clad in the captain's haori of the Fifth division standing in the open doorway.

"Aizen-taicho…" the whisper escaped her lips as she stood, stunned as the man who until now she had thought dead walked towards her. "I thought you were dead…"

"I'm sorry, Hinamori. But I had to fake my death in order to uncover a treacherous plot to assassinate the Central 46 and take control of the Seireitei." Aizen smiled softly, kindness reflecting from his square-framed glasses.

Hinamori felt relief flood through her entire body. "Aizen-taicho… all that matters is that you're alive. Thank goodness, I'm so happy…" She walked up to her beloved captain and hugged him tightly.

Folding her trembling body in his arms, Aizen smiled, the light reflecting off his glasses. "It's okay, Hinamori. I'm here now. Goodbye." Blood sprayed through the air as the sickening sound of blade rending flesh echoed through the still air of the compound of the Central 46.

Hinamori's eyes widened as she stared at the shining blade of Aizen's zanpakutou, impaled through the chest of Hitsugaya Toushiro. "Shiro-chan…"

Gritting his teeth, Hitsugaya muttered, "How many times do I have to say it, Hinamori, it's Hitsugaya-taicho!"

Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Aizen said, "How chivalrous of you, Hitsugaya-taicho, to rescue the damsel in distress. But I'm afraid that your efforts will be in vain. Instead of only Hinamori dying here in the compound, you will both die today." He ripped his blade from Hitsugaya's chest, and the young prodigy crumpled to the floor, gasping for breath as he quickly tried to heal the deep wound that was gushing blood in his chest.

"Hinamori…" he rasped, coughing blood. "Get out of here. Just get somewhere safe."

"B-but, Shiro-chan…"

"Go!"

Filled with fear for her childhood friend and numb with shock from her captain's betrayal, Hinamori ran towards the exit, forgetting in her panic her ability to flash-step.

"Ah-ah, Hinamori. I'm sorry, but I can't let you get out of here alive!" Hinamori felt a sharp pain in her chest. Stopping cold, she stared down at the blood-streaked katana protruding from her shihakusho. It retracted, and blood poured from the wound, staining her clothing. Coughing, she fell to her knees, too stunned to even try to heal the wound or stem the flow of blood.

"Aizen-t-taicho… w-why?" she whispered, and her eyes clouded over. Falling forward with a thud, Hinamori landed in a pool of her own blood. The light from the entrance to the underground meeting complex of the Central 46 shone upon her still figure, blood seeping from the wound in her chest to stain the dark wood of the courtroom.

Aizen chuckled maliciously. Wiping the blood from his zanpakutou on the back of Hinamori's shihakusho, he turned to Hitsugaya, who was now on his knees as blood continued to leak from between his fingers. Walking towards the white-haired prodigy, Aizen smiled down at him. "Sorry, Hitsugaya-taicho. But this is what you get for poking your nose into other peoples' businesses. Goodbye, young Toushiro."

His blade glinted in the light as it descended upon the defenseless young captain. A clang resounded through the chamber and sparks flew as Aizen's zanpakutou was blocked by Hitsugaya's own sword. "Oh, you can still raise your blade? How impressive. But I'm afraid with that wound that you won't survive for much longer. I'll just leave you here to die along with Hinamori then, Hitsugaya-taicho." Turning to Gin, he sheathed his blade and said, "Let's go, Gin. We have an execution to plan."

The slit-eyed captain of the Third division smiled his sinister smile. "Whatever you say, Aizen-taicho." The two traitors walked out of the chamber of the Central 46 side by side, leaving two small figures lying on the floor, blood seeping from wounds in their chests and staining the floor a crimson red.

Struggling to remain conscious, Hitsugaya did the only thing he could do that might save the two of them. He released a burst of reiatsu that resonated throughout the Seireitei. Hopefully it would attract attention and someone would find the two of them in time for Unohana-taicho to save their lives. Utterly exhausted from even this small gesture, Hitsugaya looked at the prone form of his best friend lying in the doorway. "Momo… I-I'm sorry…" Darkness overtook the white-haired prodigy and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

#

Ichigo felt Hitsugaya's reiatsu flare and then drop to almost nothing. _Shit. He must have fought with Aizen and lost. _Ichigo could only pray that the Fourth division healers got to the captain of the Tenth division in time. He himself could not go help, Ichigo knew. He had a job to do, and an important one at that. Ichigo continued flashing his way to the Kuchiki mansion, where he was sure he would find Kuchiki Byakuya. As much as he disliked the man for trying to execute his own sister, Ichigo needed powerful allies against Aizen and his band of traitors. As a captain of the Gotei 13, Byakuya would make a powerful ally indeed.

Flashing into view of the massive mansion, he was quickly accosted by a pair of guards. Ichigo inwardly sighed. _This is going to waste so much time if I have to negotiate my way through all the guards. It would be so much easier to knock them out. But then Kuchiki-taicho would probably be less willing to listen to me if he found out I knocked out his guards and broke into his manor._ Biting back a curse, Ichigo quickly knocked the two guards out with a pair of flash-steps and smacks to the back of their heads with his fist. _There probably are a ton of guards, so doing this would be the most time-efficient method._

He proceeded up the gravel walkway lined with _sakura_ trees to the manor house. _Man, this guy must really like cherry blossoms. He's got a ton of sakura trees here._ Incapacitating another pair of guards who rushed at him, Ichigo knocked on the main entrance to the manor house. After a few moments the traditional sliding door opened and an elderly servant stepped into view. "Can I help you?"

Bowing slightly to the retainer, Ichigo asked in a polite voice, "Good afternoon, sir. I apologize for having to incapacitate the guards, but I require an audience with Kuchiki-taicho immediately. I must discuss with him a matter that is of utmost importance to the security of the Soul Society."

The servant looked uncertain. On the one hand, this orange-haired shinigami had just broken into the manor, knocking out a dozen guards on his way in. On the other hand, if he had come with official Gotei 13 business, if he did not allow this young shinigami to see Kuchiki-taicho, he would be severely punished for endangering the Soul Society. "Just a moment, please," he said, and disappeared into the manor, the door sliding shut behind him.

Ichigo stood at the door, patiently waiting for the noble captain to make his appearance. He wasn't disappointed, as a few minutes later the door opened again and a familiar regal figure stepped into view. Ichigo bowed again, deeper this time as befitting the greeting of a noble. "Good afternoon, Kuchiki-taicho. It's a pleasure to meet you formally."

Regarding the bowing orange-haired teen irritably, Byakuya said, "So you're one of the intruders who broke defeated Jidanbou and broke into the Seireitei, boy? I assume you're here to save Rukia. Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you here and now for breaking numerous laws of the Soul Society. Central 46 would have you executed anyways."

Ichigo smirked inwardly. This was going to be easier than he expected. "You want a reason? I'll give you three." Holding up his fist, he raised his index finger. "One, I have information regarding a conspiracy to betray the Soul Society in the captaincy of the Gotei 13. Two, the Central 46 have been murdered, most likely part of the conspiracy. And three," Here he let his smirk show. "You probably wouldn't be able to kill me here."

Byakuya regarded the smirking teen standing before him. "Your claims are utterly ridiculous. Traitors among the captaincy? Central 46 murdered? I personally received orders from the Central 46 a few weeks ago, and only last night the Central 46 issued an order to move the date of Rukia's execution until tomorrow."

Ichigo's blood boiled at the way this stuffy noble casually spoke of his own sister's execution. But now was not the time to react to this particular subject. "Are you aware of the death of Aizen Sosuke-taicho earlier today?" he inquired politely.

"I don't see how this topic of conversation is related to a conspiracy. As far as I'm concerned, the murderer was one of you intruders," Byakuya said. "All the more reason for me to kill you here."

"Well, Aizen's death was faked. His body pinned by his zanpakutou to the wall of the Fifth division barracks was an illusion created by his zanpakutou, whose ability is not to manipulate water in the air and create reflections, as he led you to believe, but rather to take complete control of the senses and manipulate them to perceive anything Aizen wants you to perceive. For some reason, Aizen is after Rukia, probably the powerful artifact that Urahara Kisuke hid in her soul when she came to the living world on assignment. In order to do so, he is planning to use the Sogyoku to vaporize Rukia's soul and reveal the object. This means that all the orders from the Central 46, beginning from their initial orders to you to retrieve Rukia from the living world, have been fake. I have already shared this information with three other captains, who have agreed to help me save Rukia. However, in the event Aizen declares his hostile intentions towards the Soul Society, along with his potential allies among the captains, we need strong allies among the leadership of the Gotei 13. This is why I have come to you, Kuchiki-taicho. When Aizen attempts to throw the Gotei into disarray, we need strong captains to know exactly what is going on and react appropriately."

Byakuya mulled over all that he had just heard. The boy was an intruder into the Seireitei, which by law meant that punishment was to be carried out. However, if what the boy said was true, the regular laws would have to be abandoned in favor of special wartime laws, for the betrayal of captains from the Gotei 13 could only lead war.

"I have a question for you, boy. What is your role in this? You speak of yourself and the captains in conjunction, as if you consider yourself equal in power and influence to them. What gives you the right to speak of yourself thus?"

Ichigo grinned. This is where he could make his move and show this stuffy noble that he was much stronger than the last time they had fought. "You are correct in your assessment of my speech, Kuchiki-taicho. As expected as the 28th head of the noble Kuchiki Clan and the captain of the Sixth division of the Gotei 13. I indeed speak of myself as if I were equal to a captain, because that is exactly what I am: equal to a captain, power-wise. Undoubtedly you felt Kurotsuchi Mayuri's reiatsu disappear. This is because the former captain of the Twelfth division was killed by one of my companions. It was a close fight, but my companion survived. Does that convince you of our strength?"

Byakuya was sent reeling by this new piece of information, but he didn't show it. "So, your companion defeated Kurotsuchi Mayuri. But that gives no indication of your own power. If I were to violate the laws of the Soul Society and the Central 46 and ally myself with you, I must be certain of your own strength. I will not ally myself with a weakling." Drawing his zanpakutou from its ornate sheath, Byakuya said, "Prepare yourself, boy!"

Smirking, Ichigo reached a hand to his back and drew the long katana from the sheath on his back. "As you wish, Kuchiki-taicho. But I'm afraid our fight cannot last very long. I have other captains to persuade, after all." Ichigo disappeared in a flash-step, dropping out of it next to the noble captain. He swung his zanpakutou in a smooth, clean horizontal slice at the captain's head. It was blocked in a shower of sparks by the captain's own zanpakutou, which he had brought up with immense speed to meet the swinging blade.

"Impressive for an intruder, the form of your swordsmanship is elegant and clean, and your flash-step was quite fast for an inexperienced boy such as yourself."

Ichigo grinned. This was probably the closest to praise as he was going to get from the captain. "You haven't seen anything yet, Kuchiki-taicho. How about we step it up a notch, take it to shikai?"

"You are signing your own death warrant, boy, but I shall oblige." Raising his zanpakutou vertically in front of his face he said, "Scatter, Senbonzakura." The blade glowed pink and dissolved into hundreds of sakura petals.

Ichigo was uncertain what the ability of his opponent's zanpakutou was, but he was certain that those innocent-looking flower petals were anything but. He suspected that each petal was like a blade, capable of shredding him to pieces. "A truly fearsome ability, Kuchiki-taicho. As befits your position as a captain."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed as he watched Ichigo hold his blade katana vertically in front of his body. Ichigo pumped reiatsu into his zanpakutou, and with a blast of blue energy the black katana morphed into an elegant cleaver almost as tall as he was. Byakuya was taken aback at the shape of the blade and the nonverbal shikai release but quickly recovered.

"How plebian," he said disdainfully. "Your shikai looks like something a butcher would use."

Ichigo grinned wolfishly. "All the better to chop you up with, my dear." He lunged into a massive flash-step that carried him directly behind the regal captain. Swinging the cleaver-like blade over his head, Ichigo brought it down towards Byakuya's head in a mighty slash.

In a blinding rush of pink, the flower petals that made up Byakuya's shikai struck the downward-swinging blade of Ichigo's shikai, arresting its downward momentum. In a shower of sparks, Ichigo's cleaver blade as pushed aside. Without stopping, the flying petals continued their path straight towards Ichigo.

With a soft whoosh of flash-step, Ichigo disappeared and reappeared behind Byakuya, the cleaver blade hissing through the air in a horizontal slash.

"Don't think you're fast enough to beat me, boy!" With a swing of his hand, Byakuya controlled the petals to once again block the attack, this time with enough force to push Ichigo backward. Ichigo dug his feet into the ground, the straw sandals of his shihakusho carving shallow trenches in the dirt.

With a yell, Ichigo charged, his cleaver blade at the ready. Shifting into a crouching, defensive stance, Byakuya raised his hands in preparation for the attack. Before either of them could make a move, however, a commotion outside of the Kuchiki manor compound attracted their attention. Wordlessly, the two combatants sealed their zanpakutou and flashed in unison to the door, where they were met with a group of Fourth division medics, hands glowing green with healing kidou held over the bloody, still figures of Hitsugaya Toushiro and Hinamori Momo.

"Hurry up! We need to get them to the Fourth division quickly before they bleed out!"

"Shit! We're losing Hinamori-fukutaicho! Help me out here!"

"On it!"

"Faster!"

Ichigo bit back a curse. "Sorry, Kuchiki-taicho. But it look's like Aizen's beginning to make his move. Hitsugaya-taicho went to the compound of the Central 46, since I suspected that someone was manipulating or had even killed the Central 46 in order to execute your sister. Looks like my suspicions were confirmed. Is that enough proof for you, Kuchiki-taicho? Because as much as I would enjoy finishing our fight here, I have more captains to convince."

Gazing at the rapidly retreating backs of the Fourth division medics, Byakuya slowly returned his zanpakutou to its sheath with a sharp _click_. "Very well, boy. I shall join you in your fight against the traitors. However, don't think that our fight is over. Once we defeat the traitors, we shall finish what we started here today."

Grinning in triumph, Ichigo said, "Excellent. You have my gratitude, Kuchiki-taicho." Turning and preparing to flash away, he looked back at the elegant noble. "By the way, my name is Kurosaki Ichigo." He vanished.

Looking with a contemplating expression at the spot where the bright-haired genius had been standing only seconds before, Kuchiki Byakuya let an almost unperceivable smile grace his stoic visage. Here was a boy who was powerful, had plenty of potential, and was determined to obtain the power to achieve his goals. And most importantly, he had showed him the proper respect and bowed to authority. The almost invisible smile vanished completely when a thought occurred to him. The boy, _Kurosaki_, he remembered, reminded him a bit like himself when he was younger. Uncertain if that was a good thing, Byakuya turned and walked back into the manor.

#

Hey guys! What's up? As you can tell, I'm back! I'm happy to say that I've more or less sorted out most if not all of my troubles, and I will be resuming my regular bi-weekly updates of this story. Thanks to all the people who reviewed and gave me your support, it meant a ton to me.

It's now summer! However, this doesn't really mean much, since I have an internship at a lab at a nearby university, and I'll be working full hours. So unfortunately the fact that it's summer doesn't mean that I will have more time to write… However, I will do my best to stick to my regular updates.

Again, thanks for all the support from you all! We're well on our way to two hundred reviews! Wow. This is so amazing for me, since I began writing this story on a whim. Thank you so much for reading my story, I'm so happy that you guys like it! So please, if you have the time and find it in your hearts, drop a review, add this story to your alerts/favorites list, and I will see you all next time!

~fokker333


	13. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH

Ichigo dropped out of his flash-step in the entrance-way to the Seventh division barracks. _Ugh. There are gonna be more guards here than in the Kuchiki manor. If I have to fight through all of them again, it's gonna be such a pain in the ass. Not to mention we're running low on time. Dammit. I might have to go stealthy on this one. What a time to be terrible at reiatsu suppression._

Forcing himself to focus completely on reducing the reiatsu flowing from his body to a minimum, Ichigo pressed himself to the wall of the barracks, avoiding the patrolling shinigami in the courtyard. Breathing out a sigh of relief as a particularly large group of shinigami passed, chatting among themselves. Ichigo paused and listened to the conversation.

"Did you hear about the lone intruder in the Seireitei?"

"That's the one that we're supposed to look out for, right? Does anyone even know what he looks like?"

"No idea. I suppose we'll know when we see him, right? I heard he beat Jidanbou with just one hit!"

"No way! He beat the gatekeeper? Jidanbou hasn't lost in three hundred years! How strong is he?"

"We'll find out eventually, I guess. I just hope that this is all over with soon. I want to go back to my sake."

Ichigo smirked. Seems like word of his actions have already spread in the Seireitei. He was looking forward to revealing himself at the finale, when Aizen and his allies made their intentions clear.

#

"Kuchiki Rukia. Your execution will take place on the Soukyoku Hill tomorrow at noon. That is all."

Rukia listened as the echoing footsteps of the Onmitsukidou detention unit guard faded. She gazed at the floor of her cell in the Tower of Penitence. _Noon. It's a good time to go, I suppose. I guess they moved up the date because of the whole intruder situation._ She smiled wryly. _Beating the gatekeeper, invading the Seireitei. That seems like something that Strawberry would do. Good thing he's stuck back in the world of the living._

The smile faded as more footsteps approached. She roughly swiped the back of her hand across her eyes, drying the traces of moisture that thinking about Ichigo had brought on. She made her face impassive as Kuchiki Byakuya approached the door to her cell.

"Nii-sama." She acknowledged, not looking at her brother.

"Rukia. _Imouto-sama_."

Rukia's head shot up after hearing her brother address her as thus. "Nii-sama, what-"

Byakuya cut her off with a wave of his hand. "I have some things to talk to you about. By law it is not allowed for me to attempt to rescue you. Additionally, the threat of the intruders in the Seireitei have caused Central 46 to change the time of your execution, as I'm sure you are aware. However, some of the captains of the Gotei 13 suspect a conspiracy."

Rukia's eyes widened, not only at the information but also with the tone of Byakuya's voice. It was still cold and distant, but now it was laced with something different. _Is that… a hint of warmth? _she thought disbelievingly.

"There is one other thing that you should know. Although it is prohibited for me to discuss this, I feel that this knowledge that I am about to give you will mean much to you. The lone intruder's name is… Kurosaki Ichigo."

Rukia's eyes widened when she heard the name of the teen who had been in her thoughts for the past few days. "Ichigo…" she breathed. _He came. He actually came! _

"Believe me when I say this, Rukia. The boy is strong. He has potential. I have no idea how he managed to gain powers only days after I sealed the powers you lent him. But I have no doubt about the boy's goal, his motivation. He gained his own powers, defeated the gatekeeper, and invaded the Seireitei for _you_, Rukia. I could see his resolve in his eyes when I fought him. His urge to protect is… admirable."

Byakuya turned from the cell, away from a shocked Rukia. "I have no doubt that one day the boy will be a good suitor for you, Rukia. He has my approval."

Rukia was jolted out of her shocked reverie by this last statement. "Nii-sama," she said, but he was already gone. Sighing, she turned to the long window that let a strip of light into her cell. "Ichigo… I'm glad you came."

#

"Roar, Tenken!" A giant phantom limb holding a just as massive sword materialized in midair, swinging down on Ichigo. A cloud of dust exploded upon impact. As the air cleared, a scowling figure with bright orange hair stood, the giant blade blocked on a long sealed zanpakutou.

Ichigo ran his free hand through his unruly hair. "Tch. I had been hoping after Ukitake, Kyoraku, and Hitsugaya that convincing other captains would be easier. Do I have to fight all of you to get you to listen?"

Standing opposite from him, the tall imposing figure of Komamura Sajin, captain of the Seventh division, roared, "Do not be impertinent, intruder scum!

Ichigo sighed. "Look, Komamura-taicho. I don't want to fight you. So could you please just listen to what I have to say? It will go so much easier for both of us."

"Do not try to blind me with your meaningless drivel, boy! You speak of traitors in the captaincy. You dare question the loyalty of the Gotei 13? You clearly do not know who we are yet!"

Ichigo said with a grimace, "Well, I think it's clear that you aren't going to accept my offer anytime soon, and I right, Komamura-taicho?" Without waiting for a reply, Ichigo held out a hand. "Bakudo no. 4, Hainawa!"

"Glowing golden ropes shot out of his outstretch hand, wrapping around the giant captain and binding his hands to his torso. The giant phantom limb vanished as Komamura dropped out of shikai.

"You think you can bind me with a low-level kidou, boy? Don't be arrogant!" With a roar, Komamura strained and the kidou ropes began to unravel.

With a smirk, Ichigo yelled, "Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel! With light, divide this into six! Bakudo no. 61, Rikujokorou!" Six wide flat strips of light slammed into the large captain's midsection, binding him once more into place. _Damn, kidou is pretty darn handy. I'm glad I had Yoruichi teach me the more useful ones._

Calling out to the bound captain, Ichigo said, "Sorry, Komamura-taicho. But we're running out of time, and I really can't have you spilling the beans to our enemies. So, although I don't want to do this, it's necessary."

Komamura watched, eyes widening beneath his full-face helmet, as Ichigo began to chant. "Sprinkled on the bones of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle! Hadou no. 63, Raikohou!" The burst of lightning roared from his open palm, screaming towards the bound captain. Upon impact, a massive cloud of smoke burst into the air as the kidou exploded.

When the smoke cleared, Ichigo dispelled the two binding kidou holding the captain upright. With a thud, Komamura fell forward, his haori badly singed by the kidou.

Ichigo reached out with his senses and found the reiatsu signature of the massive captain, faint but still there. _Good. He's still alive, but he'll be unconscious long enough not to interfere. It wouldn't be good for the Gotei 13 to lose another captain, when one just died and three are about to desert._

He shook his head slightly. _Man, talk about Murphy's Law. Everything always goes to hell at the most important part. Well, it's off to the Eleventh division then…_ He flashed off.

#

Yamamoto-soutaicho's cane slammed against the floor, silencing the hushed conversations that had been carrying on around the room. "I have called this emergency captain's meeting to discuss a number of things."

"Now now, Yama-jii. I really don't think my drinking habits are serious enough to be the subject of an emergency captain's meeting, don't you agree?" Kyoraku Shunsui drawled, face hidden beneath the broad rim of his straw hat.

"Silence, Kyoraku-taicho! This is no time to be making jokes! The loss of four of our captains and a vice-captain is a serious matter. Kurotsuchi-taicho and Aizen-taicho are dead, and Komamura-taicho, Hitsugaya-taicho, and Hinamori-fukutaicho are seriously injured. Unohana-taicho, please update us on their conditions."

Unohana Retsu, captain of the Fourth division and head healer, stepped forward from the row of captains standing before the soutaicho. "Currently, they are all unconscious. Hitsugaya-taicho suffered a serious stab wound through the chest, barely missing his heart by three millimeters. Komamura-taicho was hit by a powerful high-level kidou, enough to incapacitate a captain-level fighter in one hit. I suspect judging from the reiatsu that the kidou spell was most likely _Raikohou_, performed by one of the intruders. Hinamori-fukutaicho is in a condition similar to Hitsugaya-taicho's, and the fact that they were both found in the same place indicates that the same person attacked both of them. Additionally, when the medics from the Fourth division found Hitsugaya-taicho and Hinamori-fukutaicho, they also discovered the Central 46 slaughtered in their underground compound."

Her words sparked another flurry of conversation around the room as several captains muttered among themselves. Yamamoto's cane slammed into the floor again. "Silence! From this information, we can suspect that the intruders who entered the Seireitei a few days ago are involved. We currently have two of the three detained, one of which is the one who killed Kurotsuchi-taicho, and the other engaged Kyoraku-taicho in battle but lost. I suspect that the single intruder who hasn't been captured yet was the one who attacked Hitsugaya-taicho, Hinamori-taicho, and Komamura-taicho, killed Aizen-taicho, and killed the Central 46. As a result, I am declaring martial law on the Seireitei. In the absence of the Central 46, I order all captains to seek out and kill this intruder as soon as possible. You are dismissed!"

#

"Hinamori!" Hitsugaya Toushiro sat straight up, then immediately flinched and hissed as pain lanced through his torso. He looked down at his chest and saw that it was wrapped in bandages. He looked around, assessing his surroundings. "I'm in the Fourth division…" A memory flashed in his mind, and he hissed under his breath, "Aizen…"

The door to his room opened, and Unohana stepped through. "Ah, it's good to see you awake, Hitsugaya-taicho."

Hitsugaya turned to look at her. "Where's Hinamori? Is she okay?"

Unohana smiled softly. "Hinamori-fukutaicho is in the next room. She is currently still unconscious, but she is stable."

Hitsugaya sighed in relief. His relief was immediately washed away by a pang of guilt. "I wasn't able to save her…" he muttered, clenching at the sheets of the bed. "I wasn't strong enough." He gazed down at his clenched hands. "…I don't deserve the title of captain in the Gotei 13 if I wasn't able to protect a subordinate."

"Nonsense, Hitsugaya-taicho," chided Unohana. "It was your actions that saved Hinamori-fukutaicho. If you hadn't given out that burst of reiatsu, which nearly killed you, by the way, she would have died from her wounds. You saved her life, while at the same time endangering your own. Your actions were noble and selfless, and nothing could earn your title as captain more than that."

Hitsugaya let out a shuddering sigh. "Thank you, Unohana-taicho. When can I get out of here?"

Unohana replied, "Your injuries are healed, and your reiatsu has recovered. I can discharge you now, if you would like."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Thank you for your help, Unohana-taicho. I appreciate it."

#

The door slid open quietly, and Hitsugaya walked into the room in which Hinamori Momo was unconscious. He walked over to the bed and placed a bunch of flowers, freshly-picked peach blossoms, in a vase by the bed. He sat down on a chair and looked at her face, bathed in the soft light of the lamp. She looked so innocent, completely ignorant of the oncoming storm that would devastate the Seireitei and the Gotei 13.

"Hinamori… I'm sorry. I know how much you looked up to Aizen. But I can't change the fact that he's a traitor, and he's betraying the Soul Society and putting us all, putting _you_ in danger. I don't know what his plans are, but they can't be anything good. So I have to ask of you, Hinamori, I have to _beg _of you, please, don't let your admiration for Aizen cloud your judgment. You are the sole head of your division, Hinamori. They need you. The Gotei 13 needs you." He took a breath, steeling himself for what he was about to say.

"_I_ need you, Hinamori. We've been friends for so long, and you were always protecting me back in the Rukongai. When you told me that you had been accepted into Aizen's division, the man who you had admired so much that he was all you could talk about back in the Academy days, I was _jealous_. I wanted to be that person that you could trust with all your secrets. I wanted to be the person that you were the closest to. I wanted to be the one who could hold you close and comfort you when something went wrong." Hitsugaya sighed as he looked at Hinamori's still form on the bed.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you, Momo. Please, I ask of you, give me another chance. That's all I want, is for you to give me another chance, to redeem myself to you."

Hinamori twitched a little in her sleep, and she muttered, "Shiro-chan…"

Hitsugaya smiled slightly, his face softening. "Get better soon, Momo. I'll see you later." He turned and walked out of the door, sliding it softly shut behind him.

#

"Well, well. This could prove quite problematic, wouldn't you agree, Toushiro-kun?" Kyoraku drawled. He, Hitsugaya, and Ukitake were sitting in Hitsugaya's office, discussing the recent order to kill Kurosaki Ichigo. Hitsugaya had been informed of the order when he had left the Fourth division.

"It's Hitsugaya-taicho, Kyoraku-taicho. But yes, I agree. There are many potential problems this order poses to our plan. We can no longer meet with Kurosaki Ichigo to discuss any further actions, and Kuchiki Rukia's execution is fast approaching. We now have less than a day to prepare for Aizen's betrayal. Have you and Ukitake-taicho secured the device from the Shihouin family?" He looked at the two senior captains.

Ukitake nodded. "We have. It is currently stored in my office at the Thirteenth division. I have informed my third seats, Kotetsu Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarou, about its use. However, in order to preserve secrecy, I only told them that I suspected someone was going to try and take the power of the Soukyoku. Nothing more."

"Good," said Hitsugaya. "I have confirmed that the Central 46 have been killed, and that Aizen was behind it. I have also confirmed that Ichimaru Gin is allied with Aizen. They were both there when I was at the underground meeting place of the Central 46." His expression hardened when he recalled the memory.

"Aizen was also the one who stabbed me and Hinamori. It appears that Kurosaki Ichigo was correct about Aizen's zanpakutou powers."

Kyoraku chuckled. "That boy has a lot of promise. I have no doubt that one day he will become one of the strongest shinigami the Gotei 13 has ever seen." He looked at Hitsugaya craftily. "Not unlike you, Toushiro-kun. The orange-haired genius and the white-haired prodigy."

Hitsugaya twitched in annoyance, but brushed it off. "Whatever. We need to plan our next move. Without Kurosaki Ichigo to plan things, we have to decide how to take action against Aizen. We don't know how many of the other captains he was able to convince, so we need to assume that it is only the three of us."

"Four," a cool, aristocratic voice cut in. The three captains whirled around to see Kuchiki Byakuya calmly closing the door of Hitsugaya's office behind him. "I see the boy was not lying when he informed me that the three of you were working with him. I am glad to see that you have recovered so quickly, Hitsugaya-taicho. It will make our work much easier with four captains and a captain-level fighter."

Ukitake breathed a sigh of relief. "So Kurosaki-kun informed you of the situation, Kuchiki-taicho?"

"Indeed he has, Ukitake-taicho. It appears that he was unable to convince Komamura-taicho, however. This is quite unfortunate, but knowing the boy he probably incapacitated Komamura-taicho long enough that he would not be able to interfere or leak information to Tousen, who is undoubtedly allied with Aizen and Ichimaru Gin."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Given his personality, I have no doubt Zaraki Kenpachi would join our cause, if Kurosaki Ichigo offers him a good fight."

Byakuya said disdainfully, "That barbarian would do anything for a fight. However, I suppose that his support in these circumstances are welcome."

"That man is a scarily strong fighter," Kyoraku said seriously. "I for one am glad he's fighting with us, and not against us."

#

Ichigo dropped out of his flash-step, looking around himself in confusion. _Dammit, everything looks the same here. I can't find my way around at all. It's so embarrassing that I have to stop and ask for directions. Tch. I suppose it can't be helped though._ He walked up to a shinigami who had his backed turned to him. "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where the barracks of the Eleventh division are?"

The shinigami turned, and Ichigo noted the vice-captain's badge on the man's arm with mild surprise. Then he caught sight of the man's face and vivid red hair and cursed.

"You!" The shinigami's eyes widened as he stared at Ichigo's bright orange hair. "You're the human! But how…" He looked stunned in realization. "_You're_ the intruder that everyone's all worried about? But that's impossible! Kuchiki-taicho sealed your powers! You were almost dead when we left you, and that was only a week ago! How is this possible?"

Ichigo smirked. _If only you knew, you stupid pineapple. If only you knew. _"Nothing is impossible, Abarai-fukutaicho. You would do well to learn that."

The pineapple's face contorted in rage at Ichigo's taunts, and he growled, "Howl, Zabimaru!" His zanpakutou morphed into the serrated falchion-like blade that Ichigo had seen in the living world. "Don't think you're gonna get off easy again, human! This time, under the orders of Yamamoto-soutaicho, I will kill you!"

With a shout, he flung the falchion-whip at Ichigo, who sighed and simply flashed out of the way of the blade. Holding out his finger at Abarai's back, he said, "Hadou no. 4, Byakurai!" The streak of white lightning flashed towards the shinigami's unprotected back.

With a contemptuous laugh, Abarai retracted his blade and used it to block the attack. "Don't get cocky, human! Don't think that the same trick will work on me twice!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, unable to resist the urge to taunt the annoying pineapple in front of him. "Do you know how many times I've been told not to be arrogant or cocky since I got here? Three. Three times I've been told that I don't have a chance of beating someone, and guess what? I've beaten them all. And you're about to be the fourth. Or did you forget how badly I was beating you back in the human world? And just on borrowed powers! I have my own powers now. You don't stand a chance, pineapple."

He casually side-stepped another attack from the whip-blade. "I suppose, since you're fighting me with shikai, I will allow you the honor of being beaten by my own shikai." Wordlessly he released his shikai, the force of his reiatsu causing Abarai to cringe slightly.

Abarai cursed. He charged straight at Ichigo with a flash-step, swinging his shikai in an attempt to decapitate the orange-haired genius. Ichigo blocked, the serrated edge of the pineapple's shikai striking the flat of Ichigo's cleaver blade with a clang. With a mighty push, Ichigo hurled Abarai head over heels away from himself.

"Let's end this. Nobody, and I mean _nobody_, is going to stop me from saving Rukia," he growled. He amped up his reiatsu, the light blue energy swirling around himself. Focusing the energy on his blade, he prepared for a mighty swing. The reiatsu engulfed the cleaver blade, and Ichigo swung. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

The massive arc of reiatsu sped towards the pineapple, impacting with a massive explosion. Ichigo turned away from the cloud of smoke, sealing his zanpakutou and returning the long blade to the sheath on his back.

Ichigo paused as a hoarse shout came from the smoke behind him. "Wait!"

He turned and gazed impassively at the badly injured figure of Abarai Renji. His shihakusho was torn and burned, and he was bleeding badly from a massive cut in his chest where Ichigo's attack had struck him. Ichigo said, "What do you want?"

"Please," Renji said, grimacing at the pain. "save Rukia."

Ichigo was slightly surprised at Renji's words, but did not show it. He turned his back to the bleeding pineapple. "I don't need to you tell me that." He flashed away, leaving Renji lying in a crater, bleeding from his torso.

#

The explosion echoed across the Seireitei, interrupting the clangs of steel striking steel and the battle cries of shinigami. Zaraki Kenpachi looked up at the column of smoke rising into the sky. Carelessly, he tossed aside the unseated shinigami of the Eleventh division who charged at him, zanpakutou raised. "Hmph. Looks like somebody's fighting over there. I bet he's strong." A manic grin appeared on the captain of the Eleventh division's face. "Ikkaku! Yumichika! I'm gonna go fight somebody, keep these maggots training!"

"Yes sir!" a bald, grinning man called back as he smashed another shinigami's face into the training room floor.

"So ugly," sniffed a feminine-looking man, whose heavily modified shihakusho was spotless despite the massive free for all battle raging around him. "We will keep the division in line while you're gone, captain."

A little girl with pink hair and the vice-captain's badge of the Eleventh division hopped off the head of yet another division member, landing on Kenpachi's shoulder. "I'm here, Ken-chan!" she chirped happily. "Let's go play!"

Kenpachi laughed. "Hold on tight, Yachiru!" He dashed out of the training hall of the Eleventh division, leaving his subordinates in a violent battle in which every man fought for himself.

#

Hello everyone! Sorry that this chapter is short, and late as well. But my laptop broke yesterday. Well, not actually broke, the power cord broke and its battery can't hold a charge so now I don't have a laptop to type on. I'm writing from the family PC, which means I had to retype a lot of the chapter. So sorry for the shortness. I promise you'll have a full-length chapter next time.

I was hoping to hit 200 reviews last chapter, but we fell just a bit short. Let's go for it this chapter! 200 reviews, here we come! Let me take the time now to thank you all for reading and reviewing. 200 reviews is another huge milestone, and I can't begin to thank you all for the support you've given for this story. So I hope you all enjoy this chapter, drop a review, add it to your alerts/favorites list, and I will see you all next time!

~fokker333

#

The administrators of are as of June 4th going to be taking down Fics that have lemons or have extreme violence. Now I don't know about you but I think thats stupid. There are many wonderful fics that only have one or two lemons in them yet the plot itself is awesome! You can't just take down a 100,000+ word fic just because it has a lemon in a chapter that is only 1000 words long. Now I urge you all to read the petition below, sign it, and repost this to your own fics. Hopefully if we make enough noise everything will return to normal. Thank you.

Greetings to the fine folk that moderate our site.

Myself, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that I believe violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in its original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

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For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

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Fokker333


	14. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Also, because I don't want to risk anything with the moderators taking down stories with lemons and extreme violence, this chapter contains _mild_ to _moderate _violence, as well as some swearing. Read at your own discretion.

Author's Note: This chapter contains something that some of you may not like or support. No, it is not lemon, nor is it rape or anything like that. It's just a pairing that I know some people may not like. So let me take this time to say, even if you don't approve of it, please don't let that make you stop reading this story. I promise that it will be minor and will not affect the story much, nor will it prevent IchiRuki from not happening. So I implore you to be open-minded. Thanks.

#

Flash-stepping his way across the Seireitei, Ichigo cursed suddenly. _Dammit! I forgot to ask where the Eleventh division is! Guess I just got so caught up with fighting that stupid pineapple that I completely forgot. _He dropped out of the flash-step, standing on the roof of a tall building to get a good overhead view of the Seireitei. He closed his eyes and let his senses reach out. According to Ukitake-taicho, the captain of the Eleventh division, Zaraki Kenpachi, had very wild, bloodthirsty reiatsu. If he could just focus on that killing intent… there! Ichigo's eyes opened in mild surprise. The reiatsu so laced with murderous intent that it could only belong to Zaraki-taicho was heading straight towards him!

A dark grin stretched itself across Ichigo's face. _Well, looks like I don't have to go looking for him after all. He made things so much easier by coming to me._ He pinpointed Kenpachi's reiatsu and flashed, landing directing in front of the captain. Ichigo noted in surprise the man's hairstyle, which consisted of several large spikes, with tiny bells adorning the tips of each one. He noted the eye patch over the large man's right eye, and the longer-than-normal katana with a jagged, chipped edge slung over the captain's shoulder.

"Ah, Zaraki-taicho. Just the man I was looking for. I assume you know who I am?" he said nonchalantly, as if meeting one of the most feared captains of the Gotei 13 were nothing more than coming across an old friend on the street.

"Hahaha! You're the intruder that everyone's got their panties twisted up about? You don't look so tough. But then again, you killed Aizen, and injured Hitsugaya and Komamura. You must be strong if you could do that. But no matter. I'm your opponent now! Get ready, intruder! Give me your best shot!" Kenpachi cackled, swinging his long blade down in front of him single-handed.

Ichigo listened to the man's tirade interestedly. _So the Gotei 13 think that I killed Aizen and injured Hitsugaya-taicho? They got everything wrong, the idiots. But even if they knew the whole truth, they probably would still sic the captains on me for being an intruder. Politics_, he thought contemptuously. Reaching a hand over his shoulder, he grasped the grip of his zanpakutou, drawing it out of the sheath on his back slowly. The cold _rasp_ of steel sliding across the wood of the sheath whispered through the streets.

"Excellent! Looks like you're ready for a fight! Come on then, intruder! Give me your best shot!" Kenpachi said, excitement and killing intent lacing his words.

Ichigo smiled a dark smile. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" he said. In an instant, he was behind the large captain, a drop of blood sliding down the blade of his zanpakutou. Behind him, a large gash opened up on the chest of the captain.

"Hahahaha! You managed to cut me? That's very impressive! Let's go!" Kenpachi roared. Spinning around on his heel, he swung the chipped blade single-handedly. Ichigo ducked out of the way of the swinging blade, retaliating with a slash that sliced a new cut across the man's shoulder.

Without even flinching at the new injury, Kenpachi swung again, this time with enough force behind his blade that even when Ichigo dodged aside once again, the force of the air displaced was enough to blow him backwards. _Holy crap, this guy's a monster!_ Ichigo thought, recovering quickly enough to duck another attack. _He's just taken two potentially incapacitating injuries and is still fighting as if he's completely unscathed!_

Ichigo flashed out of the way of another devastating attack that cut a massive gash in the wall behind him. Appearing in the air above Kenpachi, Ichigo swung his zanpakutou down in a two-handed kendo slash. With a massive _CLANG_ and a shower of sparks, he found his blade blocked by the chipped edge of the large man beneath him.

Kenpachi grunted, sweeping his blade upward and outward, forcing his orange-haired opponent backwards. "You're good, boy. You've managed to cut me twice without getting cut yourself. I haven't had this much fun in a long time!"

Ichigo sweat-dropped. _This is his idea of fun?_ he thought. _This guy's crazy!_ He sidestepped another wild swing. _I don't even dare block his strikes, they've got insane power behind him!_ He slashed again with his zanpakutou, scoring another hit along Kenpachi's face, a thin horizontal cut appearing on the large captain's cheek. _I can cut him as many times as I want, but he just never stops attacking!_

The chipped blade of the insane captain swung straight at his head in a horizontal slice. Unable to duck in time, Ichigo had no choice but to raise his blade, blocking the attack. Sparks showered the ground as blade met blade. Ichigo was flung backwards by the force of the attack, tumbling head over heels in the street, dust rising in small poufs at every impact between his body and the ground.

Rising to his feet, Ichigo wiped blood from a long cut on his forehead away from his eyes. _The shock wave generated from his swing was enough to cut me? How much power does he even have? He doesn't even seem to be fighting all out!_ Ichigo decided to switch tactics. Holding out a palm facing Kenpachi, he chanted, "Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws. Hadou no. 33, _Sokatsui!_" A blast of bright blue fire roared from his outstretched palm, racing towards the captain. It impacted with a massive explosion, kicking dust and smoke high into the air.

The smoke cleared, revealing a maniacally-laughing Kenpachi, captain's haori slightly singed but otherwise unharmed. _Damn! Even a full-powered mid-level kidou spell didn't do jack to him!_ Ichigo flashed in close, slashing directly at the laughing captain's head. Kenpachi jerked his head backwards to avoid the attack that would have decapitated him. The razor-sharp edge of Ichigo's zanpakutou sliced through the string holding the eye patch in place. Ichigo and Kenpachi watched as the black piece of fabric fluttered to the ground. Ichigo caught sight of what seemed to be dozens of mouths on the backside of the patch, gnashing and biting.

"Bad idea, kid." Bright yellow reiatsu exploded off Kenpachi, flinging Ichigo head over heels once again. The column of reiatsu shot into the sky, scattering clouds in the process. The ground cracked beneath the weight of the massive reiatsu, stones and bits of concrete flying everywhere, smashing into walls and through buildings.

Ichigo staggered beneath the force of the massive reiatsu, dropping to one knee._ Impossible! How could he have been hiding such insane reiatsu? _Suddenly, the scrap of black caught in his sight, and he knew. _Of course! That eye patch isn't to cover an injury, it's to suppress reiatsu! Those mouths on the other side probably eat reiatsu, lowering his reiatsu to an amount that won't destroy everything everywhere he goes!_

Kenpachi strode towards Ichigo, who was beginning to sweat. "Well, kid, it was fun while it lasted. But now, it's over. I suggest that if you have something hidden up your sleeve, you use it now, or you won't have another chance to do so."

Ichigo smirked through the strain on his body from the reiatsu. "Alright then. You asked for it, though!" Blue reiatsu exploded off his body as well, pushing back the crushing yellow. The long katana in his grasp glowed and morphed, becoming a massive cleaver almost as tall as he was.

Ichigo rose to his feet, holding his shikai in front of his body in a fighting stance. The insane grin on Kenpachi's face widened. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He charged forward, the chipped blade in his hand glowing with golden reiatsu.

Ichigo gathered his reiatsu in the blade of his shikai. With a shout, he swung it towards the charging captain. "Getsuga Tenshou!" An arc of blue energy flashed through the air, intercepting Kenpachi mid-charge. Another explosion shook the air, shock waves completely disintegrating the walls and buildings that hadn't been damaged yet.

Kenpachi laughed maniacally, coughing up blood, a massive wound stretching from shoulder to hip. "Damn, you're strong! This is more fun that I've ever had!" He swayed, and fell to the ground, blood pouring from the wound.

Ichigo resealed his zanpakutou, sheathing it on his back. Flashing towards the critically injured captain, he poured reiatsu into the wound. The green glow of healing kidou engulfed his hand, and the wound slowly began stitching itself back together. Cracking open one eye, Kenpachi eyed the orange-haired genius quizzically. "Why are you helping me? Why don't you just leave me here to die?"

Ichigo said, "I need your help, Zaraki-taicho. You see…"

#

_Her eyes widened at the sight before her. A spray of blood flew through the air as Hitsugaya Toushiro stepped in front of Aizen's blade, which had been meant for her. She was unable to keep the words from escaping from her lips. "Shiro-chan…"_

_He turned his head and spoke, pain lacing his words. "How many times do I have to say it, Hinamori, it's Hitsugaya-taicho!"_

_She was unable to move a muscle, unable to respond to his words. "How chivalrous of you, Hitsugaya-taicho, to rescue the damsel in distress." She couldn't believe it. The man that she had trusted her life to, the man that she had looked up to all her life, had just stabbed her childhood friend, the boy who had risen through the ranks of the Gotei 13 faster than anyone had before. "But I'm that your efforts will be in vain. Instead of only Hinamori dying here in the compound, you will both die today."_

_She was in shock. Could it be that her beloved captain had actually intended to kill her? Before her eyes, Aizen ripped his blade from her childhood friend's chest, spraying more blood into the air. She watched in horror as he collapsed to the ground, desperately trying to heal the wound that was seeping blood all over the floor. His gasps for breath echoed through the chamber._

"_Hinamori…" She looked at him, flinching as he coughed, blood mixed with spittle spraying from his mouth. "Get out of here. Just get somewhere safe."_

_She finally found the ability to speak. "B-but, Shiro-chan…" _

"_Go!"_

_His last word to her, so filled with pain, finally galvanized her into action. She ran towards the exit, leaving him behind, lying in an ever-growing pool of blood. She gasped for breath as she ran. It felt like her lungs were constricted, refusing to let her breathe. She couldn't get the image of him, impaled on her captain's blade, shielding her with his own body, out of her mind. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the awful image._

_As she neared the doorway, the exit from this nightmare, she heard a voice beside her. "Ah-ah, Hinamori. I'm sorry, but I can't let you get out of here alive!" With a sickening sound, intense pain tore through her chest. She looked down to see the zanpakutou of her captain protruding from her chest. She looked down the length to see her blood, mixed with his blood, flowing down the blade, covering the hilt and guard, and to the man holding the blade's hand, which was slowly turning red. _

_The man that she had admired all her life removed his blade from her chest, allowing her to fall forward. She felt all strength leave her limbs. She fell to her knees, unable to lift a hand to try and heal the wound through which blood was pumping out of her body. She tasted the coppery taste of blood in the back of her throat, and she coughed. Red flew out of her mouth, splattering on the floor of the underground chamber. _

"_Aizen-t-taicho…" she said, stuttering over the man's title. She wondered if he even deserved it anymore. "W-why?" The last word came out as a whisper, and her vision went dark. She felt herself falling forward, felt pain lance through her body as her wound met the floor, heard the disgusting splatter of blood, _her_ blood, as it stained the floor red, heard his strangled gasps for breath behind him. Then, she knew no more._

Hinamori's eyes flew open, a strangled gasp caught in her throat. "Shiro-chan!" She tried to sit up, but found that her chest was heavily bandaged, restricting movement. She slowly raised her head, looking around her. She realized that she was in the Fourth division. She looked to her left and saw an IV drip, connected to her arm. Letting her head fall back onto the pillow, she remembered that day, when her captain betrayed her and attacked her, leaving her for dead on the ground behind him.

She closed her eyes briefly. Everything she had known had been torn apart in a few short minutes. Now there was only one person that she could trust. She turned her head to her right and smiled softly. There on the bedside table sat a vase full of flowers. She recognized them as peach blossoms, her favorite. No one knew that, except for a certain white-haired prodigy. "Shiro-chan," she whispered.

Realization struck as she recalled her nightmare that was merely a memory of that day. _Shiro-chan! Is he okay? What happened?_ She was about to call for help when she heard the door to her room open. The tall figure of Kotetsu Isane , vice-captain of the Fourth division, stepped through.

"Oh, Hinamori-fukutaicho! You're awake!" she said happily, writing something on her clipboard. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Hinamori said. "Where's T-Hitsugaya-taicho? Is he safe?"

"Hitsugaya-taicho has been released after making a full recovery. I believe he is going to visit you soon once he finds out that you're awake."

Hinamori breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness…"

"He saved your life, you know," Isane said. "You were both seriously injured, but he let out a flare of reiatsu and alerted our medics. It seriously endangered his own life even more, but it was because of him that we were able to reach the two of you in time. If we had been a few minutes later, you both would have died."

Hinamori smiled even as worry flashed through her upon hearing this. "Of course he did. Hitsugaya-taicho was always more concerned about his subordinates than himself." She felt a familiar reiatsu at the edge of her senses, and she tensed slightly.

"Oh, I see Hitsugaya-taicho has arrived. I'll let him see you now. I'm glad you're awake, Hinamori-fukutaicho!" Isane opened the door and let in the short white-haired captain. She left, closing the door behind her.

"Shiro-chan," Hinamori began, but she was cut off as Hitsugaya approached her bed and wrapped her in a warm embrace. Completely confused at this out-of-character action from her childhood friend, she stammered, a light pink blush on her face, "Shiro-chan, what are you doing?"

Releasing the hug, Hitsugaya stepped back from the bed, sitting down on the chair beside it. He scowled slightly. "What does it look like I'm doing, Momo? I'm visiting you. And it's Hitsugaya-taicho!"

Hinamori giggled. This was the Hitsugaya Toushiro that she knew. "Thank you for the flowers, Shiro-chan. And thank you for saving me."

Hitsugaya looked down, darkness crossing his face as he remembered what had happened. "It's nothing. I know you would do the same for me, right, Momo?"

Hinamori nodded, a bright smile on her face. "Of course I would!" She then remembered something, and the thought wiped the smile from her face like a wet cloth on a chalkboard. "Aizen…"

Hitsugaya's head snapped up and he looked at her with his piercing teal-green eyes. He had been afraid of this. The sudden betrayal of the man she was the closest to would no doubt cause some emotional turmoil in the girl. "Hinamori… Aizen is a traitor. He was the one who killed the Central 46. He's up to something, Hinamori. I'm really sorry."

Hinamori smiled again, although it was a bit of a pained smiled. "I know, Shiro-chan. As much as the betrayal hurts me, I watched him stab you. How could I still follow a man who attacked my best friend?"

Hitsugaya's eyes widened. _How did she-?_

"I know what you're thinking, Shiro-chan. You were afraid that I would still feel loyalty towards him, still feel admiration. But you're wrong. No amount of loyalty could possibly overcome the bond we have. We grew up together, Shiro-chan, and I watched him try and kill you. As much as it hurts… I can't follow him after what he did."

Hitsugaya mentally sighed in relief. _Thank goodness. She took it a lot better than I expected._ "It's good to hear that, Momo. I was so afraid about how you would take it. But I'm just happy that you're okay."

Hinamori smiled teasingly. "Of course I'm okay, Shiro-chan. I'm a vice-captain of the Gotei 13! I have to strong for my subordinates, after all!"

With the familiar teasing came the familiar tic on Hitsugaya's forehead at her nickname for him. "How many times do I have to say it, Hinamori? It's Hitsugaya-taicho! Geez…" he muttered.

She giggled. "I'm glad you're okay too, Toushiro. Isane-fukutaicho told me that you flared your reiatsu to alert the medics of where we were. What were you thinking? In the condition you were in, that could have killed you!"

Hitsugaya smiled slightly. "Hinamori, you know that I would gladly die for you."

Her eyes widened at this. Tears began to gather, and she wiped them away hastily. "Thank you, Toushiro," she whispered. "Thank you for saving me. And thank you for not dying, either. I don't know what I could have done if you had died. I would have been all alone."

Hitsugaya got up off his chair and stepped towards her. Leaning over the bed, he whispered, "I would never even think about leaving you alone, Hinamori. I need you, just as you need me. We need each other's support, especially in times like these. So don't cry, bed-wetter Momo. I'm here for you. Nobody, not even Aizen, can change that."

Hinamori was about to complain about his use of her nickname but was cut off as he leaned in closer and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened at the sudden contact, but decided to just go with it. She closed her eyes and gave herself into the kiss. After a moment, they broke it off and Hitsugaya looked at her. He raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Hinamori giggled again. "Well what?"

He sighed in exasperation. "Whatever. Don't worry about it."

"Took you long enough, Shiro-chan!" she said teasingly. She laughed out loud as his jaw dropped. Reaching out, she drew him into a tight hug. She whispered in his ear, "I'm glad you did that, Toushiro."

Releasing him, she looked at his facial expression in amusement. "Well, is there anything else you wanted to tell me, Shiro-chan?"

The familiar tic appeared on his forehead, but vanished quickly. "Actually," Hitsugaya said, turning to the door. "Bakudo no. 81, Danku!" The transparent shield covered the door completely, barring entrance both in and out.

Startled, Hinamori asked, "Shiro-chan, what are you doing?"

Turning to look at her, seriousness in his eyes, Hitsugaya walked towards her. Sitting down in the chair by the bed, he said, "There are a few things about the situation in the Seireitei that you should know. Let me start by explaining about the intruders. There were three of them to begin with. One of them engaged in battle against Kurotsuchi Mayuri. He was victorious and killed Kurotsuchi-taicho."

Hinamori gasped. An intruder with enough power to defeat a captain was completely unheard of.

Hitsugaya continued, "However, it appeared that the intruder lost his own powers shortly thereafter, becoming a normal soul. I believe he is currently being detained by the Second division. A second intruder attacked Kyoraku-taicho but was defeated easily. He is also being held prisoner along with the first intruder."

Hinamori nodded in understanding. "Yamamoto-soutaicho doesn't want to execute them until the third intruder is caught, right?"

Hitsugaya nodded. "Correct. The third intruder is currently still loose in the Seireitei. He has fought with Komamura-taicho and won, although he did not finish him off. Komamura-taicho is currently unconscious and recovering from the injuries he sustained in his fight."

Hinamori put a hand to her mouth, worry for the captain evident.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. Komamura-taicho is a very resilient man," Hitsugaya assured her. "At any rate, all this is simply going according to plan. That Kurosaki had to incapacitate Komamura-taicho is unfortunate, but it was necessary."

Hinamori was confused now. "Who is Kurosaki? And what plan are you talking about?"

Hitsugaya sighed. He had forgotten to explain who the third intruder was and how he pertained to Aizen's betrayal, as well as the plan he and the three captains had made. "The third intruder's name is Kurosaki Ichigo. He is a human who has shinigami powers. He invaded the Seireitei along with his friends in order to rescue Kuchiki Rukia from her execution, which has been rescheduled to noon tomorrow."

"But how do you know his name? And what plan are you talking about?"

"Listen carefully, Hinamori, and don't jump to conclusions at what I say. I, along with Ukitake-taicho, Kyoraku-taicho, and Kuchiki-taicho, and possibly Zaraki-taicho, are working with Kurosaki Ichigo. Don't take it the wrong way. I realize that this is breaking the law, but more important things are going on, things that could threaten the entire Soul Society. Aizen killed the Central 46 several weeks ago and issued false commands that ordered Kuchiki-taicho and Abarai-fukutaicho to go to the human world to retrieve Kuchiki Rukia. He ordered for her to be executed by the Soukyoku for the crime of giving her powers to a human, the intruder Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is a genius. From various observations of Kuchiki Rukia in the human world, he concluded that Aizen is after something which is hidden within her soul, an unknown artifact of indeterminate power. We are unsure what it does or what its purpose is, but it is powerful enough that Aizen is willing to defect from the Gotei 13 to get his hands on it. We suspect that Aizen has allies within the captaincy. The prime suspects are Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen, since they are the ones closest to him. Kurosaki Ichigo came up with a plan to inform as many captains as we could about this plan in order to establish high-ranking, powerful allies against Aizen so that when Aizen declares his intentions and betrays the Gotei 13, we will be ready for him."

Hinamori listened to Hitsugaya talk, her eyes widening as new information was revealed to her. "So this Kurosaki Ichigo is afraid of a war between the Gotei 13 and Aizen and his allies?"

Hitsugaya nodded. "He suspects that Aizen will make his intentions clear tomorrow at noon at Kuchiki Rukia's execution, where he plans to take the artifact hidden in her soul and make his escape. His escape method is currently unknown, but knowing Aizen he probably has one planned for himself and his allies."

Hinamori nodded. "So what do you want me to do, Hitsugaya-taicho?"

Hitsugaya noted with approval that her tone had shifted to formal, addressing him by his proper title while they were discussing military strategy. "I am afraid that tomorrow we will be engaged in an all-out battle against Aizen and whatever forces he has at his disposal. At that fight we need every shinigami we can get to fight against him. Will you join us in this fight? I know that it might hurt for you to oppose your ex-captain, but the Seireitei needs us to do this."

Hinamori's soft brown eyes hardened at the mention of Aizen. She nodded resolutely, determination shining in her eyes. "I will fight."

#

And another chapter done! Thank you to those who have read up until here and tolerated the HitsuHina. I know that it's a controversial pairing, but I feel it is appropriate for this story. If you have any questions regarding my logic behind this decision, please feel free to review or message me, and I will be perfectly willing to answer any and all questions you have!

We've reached over 200 reviews! What a milestone in this journey! Congratulations to **Eradona** for being the 200th reviewer. Thank you all for joining me in this wild ride. I'm so happy that so many people are reading my story. After a little over a month of writing, this story has a total of 34,544 hits, 220 favorites, and 221 alerts. The only way I can think of thanking all of my readers is to continue writing this story.

And thank you to those who don't approve of HitsuHina but still decided to continue reading. I deeply appreciate your faith in me and my writing, and I will try my hardest not to disappoint any of you in the quality of my writing.

Next chapter: the conclusion of the Invade Soul Society Arc! Aizen and his allies betray the Soul Society in the middle of Kuchiki Rukia's execution on the Soukyoku Hill. How will this epic battle between factions play out? And in what role will Ichigo find himself in? IchiRuki ahead, stay tuned!

~fokker333


	15. Chapter 13: Finale, Part I

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Additionally, this chapter contains mild to moderate language and moderate violence. Read at your own discretion.

The five captains and one vice-captain of the Gotei 13 gathered in a secluded room in the Kuchiki Manor. Byakuya, always the impeccable host, had tea and refreshments brought in. He nodded tersely to the servant, who bowed and backed out of the room.

"It was very kind of you to offer your home for this meeting, Kuchiki-taicho. Thank you," Ukitake said.

Byakuya acknowledged the compliment graciously. "It was not a problem, Ukitake-taicho. Given the number of people involved in this… plan of ours I thought it unsuitable to have a meeting in a captain's office, seeing as it would likely be far too crowded."

Kyoraku looked at his cup of tea with mild disappointment. "No sake, Byakuya-kun?"

Byakuya gazed as the easy-going captain with disapproval. "Taking into account the seriousness of the topics which we are discussing tonight, I took the necessary precautions to ensure that we would all remain sober."

Hitsugaya coughed, interrupting the silence that had fallen after that statement as each shinigami contemplated the gravity of their actions. "Does anyone know when Kurosaki Ichigo is arriving?"

Kenpachi grinned maniacally. "He said that he had some things to take care of. He said he'd be here soon."

No sooner than he had said this, the door slid open. A servant entered and bowed. "Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki-dono." He gestured at the tall, orange-haired genius who entered. Bowing again, he exited.

Sitting down, Ichigo acknowledged the gathered shinigami. "Hello, captains. It's good to see you all again." His eyes drifted over to Hinamori Momo, who was seated next to Hitsugaya. "And I see we have another member among our little group of conspirators. Hinamori-fukutaicho, it's nice to be introduced in less… tragic circumstances."

Hinamori nodded, recalling the first time they had met, under what appeared to be Aizen's mutilated body. "You're the one who asked me about Aizen's zanpakutou. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo sighed slightly. "Please, just call me Ichigo. I hate formalities."

Kenpachi's grin widened. "Yo, Ichigo! When's that rematch you promised me?"

The other captains stared at Ichigo, incredulity written all over their faces. Ukitake voiced all of their thoughts. "You promised Zaraki-taicho a rematch, Ichigo-kun?" His words were colored with disbelief.

Ichigo shrugged. "Anything to get his cooperation, and you have to agree, we need all the help we can get."

Byakuya interrupted Ichigo. "I think it's time to discuss our plan of action for tomorrow, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"That's right," said Ukitake. "As our primary genius and strategist, what are your thoughts on the execution tomorrow?"

Ichigo said, "From what I've been told, all captains and vice-captains are required to attend the execution, correct." Receiving nods of confirmation from the assembled officers, he continued, "We have a number of high-value 'targets', if you will, that we need to look out for. At the top of this list are the three captains: Sousuke Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Kaname Tousen. Additionally, until Aizen makes his moves, our opponents will also include Yamamoto-soutaicho and Soi Fon-taicho. Komamura-taicho won't be a threat, I incapacitated him severely enough to keep him out of commission for a few days, which will be plenty of time for this plan to be carried out. Nor will Unohana-taicho, since she will most likely place her priority on casualties and patients. I don't know about Gin and Tousen's vice-captains, though. Hinamori-fukutaicho, since you are the most likely to be close to them, what are your thoughts on their allegiances?"

Hinamori looked mildly surprised to be consulted amid some of the highest-ranking shinigami in the Gotei 13. "Um, I was close friends with Kira-fukutaicho when I was in the academy, and although he's a loyal soldier, I don't think he's aware of Aizen, Gin, and Tousen's plans, or he would have said something by now. At the very least, he would have told me. I'm not too familiar with Hisagi-fukutaicho, Tousen's vice-captain. When I was in the academy, my class took a field trip to the living world on a konso run. We were attacked by hollows, and Hisagi-fukutaicho was one of the shinigami leading the relief force that defeated them. Otherwise, I don't know where his loyalties would lie."

Ichigo listened to Hinamori's analysis of the vice-captains intently. After she finished, he thought for a moment. "I believe that Kira-fukutaicho will not be a threat to our operation. Given Hinamori-fukutaicho's information, which I trust wholeheartedly," Hinamori smiled at that, blushing lightly at the praise, "I don't think Kira-fukutaicho would be involved in Aizen's plan."

He noticed that Hinamori hadn't even flinched every time Aizen's name was mentioned. _Good_, he thought approvingly. _Looks like she doesn't have any emotional issues after being betrayed by Aizen. I have a feeling she's gonna play a very valuable role in the war that's bound to follow._

"Hisagi-fukutaicho is as of now an unknown. In the event of a confrontation, I suggest we treat him as an enemy. Fight to incapacitate, we can detain him until we ascertain his true loyalties."

The assembled shinigami nodded in approval, all seeing the wisdom and accuracy of Ichigo's analysis and subsequent plan. Hitsugaya asked him, "So if it comes down to the fights, who do you think should be paired against whom?" Despite Hitsugaya's vastly superior combat experience over Ichigo, even the prodigy deferred to Ichigo when it came to battle strategy. All the assembled shinigami knew firsthand how well Ichigo's genius mind could analyze information and devise an effective strategy to counter any obstacles thrown against him.

"From what I heard, Ukitake-taicho and Kyoraku-taicho used to study under Yamamoto-soutaicho, am I correct?" The two senior captains nodded their confirmation. "In that case, I think the two of you would be most suited to fight Yamamoto-soutaicho. Do you think you can hold him off until we can expose Aizen as a traitor?"

"Come now, Ichigo-kun. We are two of the oldest and most powerful captains in the Gotei 13. I think we can manage that," Kyoraku drawled.

Ichigo bowed slightly to him. "My apologies, Kyoraku-taicho, Ukitake-taicho. I did not mean to imply that I was belittling your abilities."

Ukitake chuckled lightly. "Don't be so formal, Ichigo-kun. You said it yourself, you hate formalities, right? I don't think any of us here would mind if we completely dispense of titles."

Ichigo grinned. "If you say so, Ukitake-san. At any rate, if the two of you battle the head captain, that leaves Soi Fon-taicho and the three traitors. As to who would be the most suited to fight Soi Fon-taicho…"

"That would be me," a new voice cut in. A lithe figure dressed in form-fitting clothing dropped from the ceiling.

Ichigo looked at the newcomer with surprise. "Yoruichi-san. I totally forgot you came with us to the Soul Society. I think I lost you right after splitting when Ishida stayed behind to fight Mayuri."

The various gathered shinigami all reacted differently to the Goddess of Flash's presence in the room.

"Ah, Shihouin-san! How nice it is to see you again," said Ukitake. Kyoraku grinned in agreement. "I take it you joined Urahara Kisuke in exile in the human world?"

"That's right!" Yoruichi replied. She looked over at Kuchiki Byakuya, who was looking at her with an expression of mild dislike. "Oh, lighten up, Bya-kun! I haven't seen you in a century, you'd think you'd be happier to see me!"

Byakuya replied condescendingly, "I have no idea how you could possibly come to such a conclusion, Shihouin."

Ichigo sighed. Somehow Yoruichi always knew exactly how to throw a productive conversation completely off-track. He cleared his throat lightly. "A-_hem_." The quiet authority in his voice that belied his youth gained the attention of all. "I suppose that answers our question regarding Soi Fon-taicho. That leaves Tousen, Gin, and Aizen himself." Ichigo turned to look at the noble in whose house they were meeting.

"Kuchiki-taicho, do you think you could fight Tousen? Given his penchant for babbling about his twisted form of justice, along with your background of upholding the law, I believe you would be most suited to face him."

Byakuya nodded. "That will be acceptable. I will show the traitor the consequences of breaking the law of Soul Society."

Ichigo grinned. Even though the man had tried to execute his sister, he had heard about the circumstances behind Kuchiki Byakuya's choice between fulfilling his wife's deathbed wish and the law which he held so dear. It was a hard choice, and Ichigo was just glad that even though Byakuya had chosen the latter, he was there to save Rukia.

"I will fight Gin." The young captain's voice shook Ichigo out of his thoughts. He looked at Hitsugaya Toushiro with some surprise. "I have some personal issues to settle with that man."

Ichigo nodded. "If that is your decision, and you feel you can fight Gin and defeat him, you may do so."

"Hang on a sec now, Ichigo! You're forgetting me! I wanna fight someone!" Mildly exasperated, Ichigo looked at the bloodthirsty captain of the Eleventh division. He also noticed Hinamori looking slightly downcast at not being given a role.

"Don't worry, Zaraki-taicho, and you, Hinamori-fukutaicho. The two of you might have the most important job of us here. I don't doubt that Aizen has foot soldiers at his disposal. If my suspicions are correct, Aizen may have allied himself with hollows." Silencing the outraged reactions from those assembled with a raised hand, Ichigo continued, "There is a high possibility that in order to cover his retreat from the Soul Society Aizen will release multiple hollows into this dimension. Hinamori-fukutaicho, Zaraki-taicho and your subordinates in the Eleventh division, your job will be to lead the defense against the hollows."

Hinamori smiled, determination gleaming in her eyes as she learned her role. _Finally, I can be of some use. I'm tired of being pampered by Aizen. All the time I spent as his vice-captain, he's never let me fight that much. Probably so I would be weak enough for him to manipulate. Well, no more! I am going to FIGHT._

Hitsugaya glanced at Hinamori and was mildly taken aback by the look on her face, the fierceness shining in her eyes. _That's the Hinamori Momo that I know_, he thought, his pride for her slipping through his mask and showing on his face.

"As for Aizen," Ichigo continued, "He's mine. That bastard's dared to act against everything that I've worked for in my life. I've always tried to live up to my name as 'one who protects.' I promised that nobody would be harmed if I could do something about it, especially my family. And like it or not, Kuchiki-taicho," he said, glancing at the noble, who looked back, an eyebrow slightly raised in mild curiosity, "I count Rukia as part of my family now. And hell if I let Aizen harm those who are close to me."

Silence fell across the room at his firm words. The captains regarded the bright-haired genius with newfound respect. It wasn't every day that you came across a teen with such firm conviction, and the power and strength to back up his words.

Ichigo grinned sheepishly. "Hehe, sorry about that outburst. At any rate, I think that's all for tonight. Kyoraku-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, you have the device ready? Excellent. If that's the case, I bid you all goodnight. I will see you all tomorrow at noon, and hopefully the next time we meet like this the circumstances won't be so solemn." Nodding once in acknowledgement to each shinigami seated in the Kuchiki Manor, Ichigo flashed away.

One by one, the assembled shinigami bid their farewells and flashed away. The next day would be interesting indeed.

#

Kuchiki Rukia squinted as she was led into the bright sunshine, unable to shield her eyes with her hands, which were bound behind her back. The four uniformed guards, faces covered by white clothes, motioned for her to keep walking. The five figures continued on the walkway that led from the Tower of Penitence to their destination: the Soukyoku Hill, where the most evil of criminals, the traitors to the Soul Society, were executed.

Rukia stiffened reflexively as a sinister, snakelike reiatsu began to smother her. Around her, the four Onmitsukidou guards dropped like stones to the ground, unable to withstand the crushing, oppressive reiatsu. Rukia felt her legs tremble, and she collapsed to her knees as her legs gave way. _Who could be doing this?_ she thought, panic beginning to shoot through her mind.

Her question was quickly answered. She looked up to see a grinning figure dressed in a white haori striding across the walkway towards her. "Ichimaru Gin-taicho," Rukia ground out between gritted teeth. Sweat began to trickle down her face as she resisted the urge to fall flat upon her face. _I have to stay strong,_ she told herself, her whole body shaking with effort. _Ichigo is coming. I have to stay strong for him!_

Ichimaru whistled. "Very impressive, Rukia-chan. That you can stay conscious under the full weight of my reiatsu is quite the feat indeed."

"What do you want?" she asked, ignoring his sarcastic praise. "Why are you here?"

Ichimaru chuckled, sounding even more sinister than before. "Why, Rukia-chan! How ungrateful! What if I were here to save you? And because of how rude you were, didn't?"

Rukia scoffed. "As if you were actually here to save me, Ichimaru-taicho. What are you really here for?"

Ichimaru stopped laughing, although his grin only widened, stretching across his face. "I came to deliver a warning. Kurosaki Ichigo is coming for you, but his efforts will all be in vain. Plans are in motion, Kuchiki Rukia, and you and he are powerless to stop them." By the time he finished speaking, the grin had faded from his face, leaving his face solemn, and if possible even more sinister than before.

Rukia's eyes widened. Could the plans that Ichimaru spoke about be the conspiracy among the captains that her brother had spoke to her about? She stared at Ichimaru as the smile reappeared. "I'll see ya later, Rukia-chan! Of course, next time, the circumstances won't be as… happy."

He turned and strode down the walkway, leaving Rukia on her knees, trembling from the pain and effort of resisting his reiatsu. _Ichigo_, she thought worriedly. _Whatever you're going to do, be careful._

#

"Kuchiki Rukia! You are hereby accused by the Central 46 of the Seireitei of treason against the Soul Society, for the crime of giving your shinigami powers to a human! How do you plead?" The scratchy voice of Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai, the head captain of the Gotei 13, rang out through the still air on Soukyoku Hill.

Rukia stared directly at the most powerful man in the Gotei 13, resolution shining in her eyes. There was no way she was going to deny giving her powers to Ichigo. To do so would be an insult to Ichigo and his vow to protect. To deny that she had given him the power, the strength to carry out his wish, the promise he had made since he had failed to protect his mother, was unthinkable to her. "Guilty."

Whispers broke out amid the assembled ranks of the shinigami who had gathered to watch. However, among the captains there was silence. Yamamoto merely sighed resignedly, as though he had expected that very answer. "Very well. For the crimes you have committed, your sentence is death and the permanent removal of your soul from the cycle of reincarnation. Your soul shall be incinerated completely by the Soukyoku."

As he spoke, the giant halberd that was the Soukyoku burst into flame. Gasps arose from the masses as they beheld the power of a million zanpakutou. White cubes rose from the ground, suspending themselves behind Rukia's outstretched arms. They lifted her off the ground until she was hanging in front of the crossbeam of the execution stand.

Before her, the massive flaming halberd changed, taking shape. Before the awed eyes of all the onlookers, even the captains, the Soukyoku took on its true form: a massive phoenix of flame. Rukia's breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon the instrument of her destruction.

Below, several captains exchanged several glances. Hitsugaya glared at Ichimaru Gin, who was looking at the Soukyoku with a grin wider than anyone had ever seen. Byakuya Kuchiki spared a contemptuous glance at Kaname Tousen, and then returned his eyes to the events unfolding dozens of meters above them. The two senior captains nodded once at each other. Kenpachi grinned excitedly, his reiatsu flaring slightly, but still enough to knock the breath out of the lower-ranked shinigami. The fight was coming soon; he could feel it in his blood.

The mighty phoenix flared its wings, screeching into the sky of Soul Society. Without any warning, it charged. Rukia closed her eyes, bracing herself for the searing pain that would lead to her demise. Three, four, five seconds ticked by. Nothing. Warily she cracked open her eyes. The first thing she saw was a fiery orange mere feet before her eyes. She looked below the eye-searing orange, and caught sight of two familiar, amber orbs. A familiar cocky grin graced the face of her savior.

"Ichigo…" she breathed. There stood the Strawberry genius that had changed her life the day she had met him on that dark street so many weeks ago.

"Yo, Rukia," he said. "I'm here to save you." The grin he wore split his face, and somehow it wasn't sinister, like Ichimaru Gin's. Rather, it was warm and inviting, reminding her of everything she had to live for.

"Ichigo," she said again, tears in her eyes now. "I told you not to come after me, idiot!" But she was smiling as she spoke, and both knew in their hearts one thing. "I'm glad you came, Strawberry."

Behind Ichigo, the Soukyoku screeched in anger, its charge having been disrupted by the broad blade of the cleaver that was Ichigo's shikai. Backing up a few meters, it prepared to charge again. Rukia gasped in worry, but Ichigo gave her a reassuring look. "Don't worry, Rukia. Everything's been taken care of." Pointing a palm into the air, he said, "Hadou no. 31, Shakkahou!" The red fireball flew into the air, glowing like a flare.

On the ground, as many gasped as the mighty Soukyoku was halted, the captains leapt into action. Ropes shot upward, binding themselves around the neck of the majestic phoenix. With a massive pulse of reiatsu, the ropes began to glow.

Soi Fon recognized the device that Ukitake and Kyoraku and their subordinates wielded, as well as the crest they bore. _The Shihouin family shield!_ "Stop them!" she roared at the assembled vice-captains. "They're trying to destroy the Soukyoku!" With a shout, Marechiyo Omaeda, Hisagi Shuuhei, and Izuru Kira released their shikai, rushing at the senior captains.

A burst of yellow reiatsu burst through the air. "Can't let you do that!" roared the battle-crazed captain of the Eleventh division. The entirety of the Gotei 13 stared as fifty meters above them the Soukyoku disintegrated, reverting back into its sealed state as a halberd. With a mighty crash, it split in two.

Rukia stared at the ground in disbelief Ukitake and Kyoraku confronted Yamamoto, who had released his own zanpakutou, Ryujin Jakka, in fury at his protégés' apparent betrayal. Kenpachi, Ikakku, and Yumichika faced off against Kira, Hisagi, and Omaeda. With a shout, Hitsugaya launched himself at the grinning Ichimaru Gin. Her eyes widened as her own brother engaged in battle against Kaname Tousen. A black blur smashed into Soi Fon, and the two vanished in a flurry of hand-to-hand combat. To the eyes of the lower-ranked shinigami gathered below, only showers of sparks as zanpakutou clashed were visible, all the fighters moving at speeds far beyond their comprehension.

Rukia looked back at Ichigo, wonder in her eyes. "Ichigo, how did this happen?"

"Surprised?" Ichigo smirked. "Told you everything was taken care of. Hold on a sec, let me destroy this stupid stand." This feat was supposedly impossible, but Rukia had long since learned to expect the impossible from the orange-haired genius in front of her.

Ichigo flung the giant cleaver into the air, grabbing onto the white cloth streaming from the hilt. Spinning his shikai in a circle, he swung downward. Beneath, all fighting paused as a massive explosion rang out. The combatants, as well as non-combatants, looked upward. To their shock and wonder, the crossbeam of the execution stand had been reduced to so many splinters and debris. Ichigo stood, Rukia at his side, on the shattered remains of the stand.

The fighting had resumed for but a mere moment when a familiar voice roared, "ENOUGH!" Shocked, all fighting ceased once again as a figure appeared in their midst. The shinigami looked on in shock at the haori-clad figure of Sousuke Aizen. "THIS," he shouted in fury, gesturing around him, "IS NOT HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!"

If Aizen had expected surprise at the revelation that he was alive from the captains, he was sorely disappointed. Instead of surprised comments, he was greeted only with steely glares of anger. Yamamoto, Kyoraku, and Ukitake had taken their fight elsewhere, as did Soi Fon and Yoruichi.

"Sorry, Aizen-taicho," called Ichimaru. "I have no idea how this happened." With a flash, Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen appeared behind the furious traitor.

On the stand, Ichigo hugged Rukia tightly to his chest. "Sorry Rukia, but I have to do this. I'll be right back." Quickly, he brushed his lips lightly over hers. He vanished in flash-step, leaving Rukia stunned and bright red on the remains of the stand.

Ichigo reappeared on the ground, leading the assembled captains. "Sousuke Aizen," he said, a confident smirk on his face. "Your plans end here. We know exactly what you're up to, there's no use trying to continue. Give up and you will be treated mercifully."

Seething, Aizen whipped his glasses off his face, revealing the face of the monster he really was. "Kurosaki Ichigo," he said, barely managing to suppress his fury. "This is certainly an unexpected event."

"Please," said Ichigo caustically. "Don't try to salvage the situation. It's over, Aizen."

"I don't think so!" hissed the traitor. He vanished with a flash step, appearing high in the air. With a slash of his hand, a gaping hole opened in the sky. From it poured dozens of hollows, followed by several Menos Grande.

Ichigo grinned. "Don't think I didn't foresee this, Aizen!" he shouted. With a nod, Kenpachi flared his reiatsu. "Vice-captains!" he roared, his reiatsu pouring off of him. His eye-patch fluttered away in the wind. "To me!"

"Snap, _Tobiume_!"

"Reap, _Kazeshini_!"

"Raise your head, _Wabisuke_!"

"Crush, _Gegetsuburi_!"

"Bite, _Gonryoumaru_!"

With a shout, the assembled vice-captains released their zanpakutou in unison. Kenpachi threw his head back and laughed an insane laugh. "Let's go!" He leapt upward, followed by the vice-captains. They met the swarm of hollows in midair, and screeches of pain immediately ripped from the mass.

Ichigo turned to Hitsugaya and Byakuya. "Hitsugaya-taicho, Kuchiki-taicho, you know what to do." With a terse nod, the two vanished with the soft whoosh of flash-step.

Facing Ichimaru, Hitsugaya growled. "Ichimaru Gin. For the crimes of betraying the Soul Society and the Gotei 13, you are hereby under arrest!" When his command was met only by Ichimaru's grin, he said, "Very well. Your lack of answer will be considered resistance. Prepare yourself, Ichimaru! Sit upon the frozen heavens, _Hyourinmaru!_"

Appearing before the blind captain of the Ninth division, Kuchiki Byakuya declared, "Kaname Tousen, you are hereby under arrest for crimes against the Soul Society. Give up your zanpakutou and deliver yourself into the hands of justice!"

Tousen's face darkened as he turned his head to face the noble. "You dare talk to me about justice? You are naïve, Kuchiki. Cry, _Suzumushi!_"

Byakuya watched impassively as Tousen released his zanpakutou. "Kurosaki Ichigo predicted this. Very well, I suppose I have no choice. Scatter, _Senbonzakura!_"

As Aizen's subordinates clashed with Hitsugaya and Byakuya, Aizen himself turned to face Ichigo, who was standing below him with a confident smirk on his face. "Don't think it's over so quickly, _boy_," he said with contemptuous emphasis on the last word.

Flashing upward to the stand of the Soukyoku, he grabbed Rukia by the throat. His right hand turned scaly and green, and with a thrust he impaled her through the chest. With a mighty pull, Aizen withdrew his hand, clutching a small marble-like object, encased in crystal. The hole in Rukia's chest sealed itself behind him, and he clutched the object triumphantly. "The Hogyoku. An artifact of immeasurable power, capable of dissolving the line between Shinigami and hollow, capable of granting its master the ability to transcend mortal. With this, I shall become immortal, invincible. With this, I shall kill the Soul King and remake the world as I wish!" Triumphantly, he threw Rukia earthward.

Ichigo burst into flash-step, catching Rukia in midair. Landing softly on the ground, he looked at Rukia's face. "Rukia. Wake up."

She fluttered her eyelids, looking up at him blearily. "Ichigo?"

"I'm really sorry, Rukia. But I couldn't let that thing stay in your soul. Could you feel it? It's sucking away your reiatsu, limiting your ability and strength. With proper training, you could reach vice-captain level without trouble."

She stared, wide-eyed. "You really think that?"

Ichigo smiled. For the moment, nothing else existed. Only Rukia, clutched tightly in his arms. "Of course I do."

Rukia blushed lightly. "Um, Ichigo, about that… kiss?"

Ichigo said, "Yeah? What about it?"

Rukia threw all her thoughts and concerns to the wind. Wrapping her arms around Ichigo's muscular neck, she kissed him, long and deep. After what seemed like eternity, she pulled away, giggling at the blank, confused look and light blush on Ichigo's face. Whispering in his ear, she said, "Looks like I win this one, genius."

Clapping sounded behind them, and Ichigo turned to see Aizen striding through the air towards them. "Very cute and romantic, Kurosaki Ichigo. But this doesn't change anything. I still hold the Hogyoku, and you and your shinigami friends are still doomed to perish."

"Get behind me," Ichigo whispered to Rukia. Nodding, she complied, and he turned back to face Aizen. "You haven't transcended shinigami or hollow yet, Aizen," he said calmly, adjusting his grip on his cleaver, wielding it with one hand. "Now, let me show you my power."

Black reiatsu began to stream off Ichigo's body. With a roar, Ichigo shouted, "BANKAI!" Dust exploded into the air, blown away by the force of Ichigo's reiatsu. Moments later, it swirled away to reveal Ichigo. No longer clad in the traditional shihakusho of the shinigami, Ichigo was now dressed in a pure black, high-collared, button-down long-sleeved shirt. Over this he wore a black overcoat which reached to his ankles, ending in a slightly tattered hem. The overcoat covered black slacks, ending in black lace-up combat boots. In his hand Ichigo no longer held the massive cleaver. Instead, he wielded an obsidian-colored blade similar in size to the sealed version of his zanpakutou. However, the _tsuba_ was now shaped in the kanji for _ban_, and it and the grip were entirely black. Additionally, a short length of broken chain dangled from the pommel. "_Tensa Kage Zangetsu._"

#

Muahahaha evil cliffhanger! Well, here is as promised the beginning of the climax of the first arc! A few comments about Ichigo's new and improved _bankai_. You may have noticed the changes in his outfit (actually, you must have. If you didn't, well, I really have nothing to say). If you can't visualize it, think Neo from The Matrix. With orange hair and no sunglasses, of course. The sword is more or less the same, but I've changed the name a bit. Roughly translated, it means _Heavenly Chain Shadow-slaying Moon_. The "shadow" bit I added because of Ichigo's slightly modified personality. As you probably noticed from the previous chapters, genius Ichigo is much more cautious and thorough. He gathered together resistance against Aizen and created alliances among the captains all from the shadows, so to speak, without Aizen's knowledge. The shadow bit will also play a role in some new attacks for Ichigo's bankai. However, they will only be useable in bankai at the moment, _Getsuga Tenshou_ being the only attack he can use in shikai.

Well, all I can say is that I hope you enjoy! Work is pretty tedious. I'm doing research on insulin, trying to improve the effectiveness of insulin treatment for people with diabetes. So if any of my readers have diabetes, my work is dedicated to you! But this entire chapter is dedicated to all of my readers. Thank you so much for continuing to support me to this point. A nice, lengthy review would be very much appreciated. Oh, and there's IchiRuki in this chapter too! That should make a lot of you happy, right? Thanks for reading, and I will see you all next time for the conclusion of this arc. Peace!

~fokker333


	16. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. This chapter will contain violence and swearing. Read at your own discretion.

Aizen took a single look at Ichigo and laughed derisively. "That's it? That's your bankai? And here I was thinking that you might pose a real problem to my plans. It appears that I am sorely mistaken. If that is the extent of your power, I have nothing to fear."

Ichigo smirked. Resting his long black blade on his shoulder, he called out in response, "Don't count your chickens before they've hatched!" Before Aizen's eyes, he vanished, without even the telltale whoosh of flash-step.

Reappearing next to Aizen a split second later in a flurry of darkness, his overcoat whirling about his body, Ichigo slashed with the blade that was darker than midnight. The blade howled through the air, dark shadows seeming to trail behind the curved spine of steel. Sparks flew as it impacted Aizen's zanpakutou, which he had raised in front of his body reflexively.

Aizen's eyes narrowed as he pushed against Ichigo's midnight blade. "That wasn't a flash-step, was it? What was that, boy? How did you move so quickly?" When Ichigo didn't respond, Aizen pushed harder against the opposing zanpakutou. "Very well. If you will not answer, I will force you to reveal the secrets of that technique!"

Ichigo grinned. "I don't need to hide the secrets of my 'technique', as you refer to it. You will never figure it out anyways." Ichigo vanished again, with no sound to indicate his movement. He reappeared behind Aizen, his coat billowing about him, the tip of his blade resting gently on Aizen's neck.

Aizen froze. After a moment, he felt the razor-sharp blade retreat from his neck. Not stopping to wonder why the boy didn't kill him, he flashed away, beginning a kidou chant at the same time. "Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness!"

Ichigo stood and watched Aizen curiously. Yoruichi had not taught him this kidou before, and although he knew that it was bound to be dangerous, the genius in him wanted to experience firsthand the result of this unknown, foreboding kidou incantation.

A swirling ball of dark energy appeared in Aizen's hand as he spoke. The sky turned dark, and as the incantation progressed cubes of the same dark energy appeared around Ichigo, surrounding him with spiked reiatsu. Aizen finished the incantation with a triumphant shout. "Hadou no. 90, _Kurohitsugi!_"

The darkness enclosed Ichigo entirely, and massive spears of reiatsu impaled the giant black coffin. The shinigami stared in astonishment and horror as Aizen laughed. "What a pity. Even with so much potential, the boy is defeated by a mere kidou spell. I must profess myself disappointed, Kurosaki Ichigo."

The coffin vanished in a swirl of black, and Rukia's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the space that the coffin had enclosed, fully expecting to see the mangled corpse of her Strawberry savior. The last of the black vanished, revealing… nothing. It was as though Ichigo had simply vanished from existence. The shinigami's stares turned from horror to confusion. Where had Ichigo gone? It was impossible to escape from within the coffin, and he had clearly been inside when the kidou finished.

"Surprised?" said a familiar voice behind Rukia. She spun to see Ichigo, standing with a smug smile on his face. "I suppose I'll have to explain my technique to you. It's no fun otherwise," he said with a sigh. "My technique, which is only useable in bankai, by the way, allows me to merge with the shadows, and emerge somewhere else, anywhere there are shadows."

Aizen hissed viciously. "If that's the case, boy, I'll just make it so that there are no shadows for you to hide in! Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired. Hadou no. 91, Senju Kouten Taihou!" Ten spears of pink energy, tinged with darkness, appeared around Aizen. He shouted, and they shot towards Ichigo at blinding speed.

Ichigo cursed his own confidence as Aizen chanted, unable to use his shadow-walking technique due to the absence of shadows. He tried to flash-step out of the way of the devastating spears of light, but knew immediately given the speed of the kidou and his own speed that he wasn't going to make it out of the way in time. With no other option, Ichigo could only ramp up his reiatsu output to his absolute maximum and hardened it into a shield, hoping that it could take the force of a full-incantation forbidden kidou.

The resulting explosion dispelled all clouds, and the brightness of the explosion as the energy collided with each other and Ichigo eclipsed even the noonday sun. The force blew some unfortunate shinigami head over heels, some falling screaming off the cliff and into the woods below.

Rukia rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to recover from her flash-blindness. Dark spots cleared from her vision, and the sight she saw chilled her to the very core. Ichigo was kneeling in midair, clearly seriously injured. His bankai outfit was shredded, his overcoat in tatters and nearly torn away. Blood ran in rivulets down his face, and she could see through the rips of his clothing that he had a large gash in his shoulder.

Ichigo panted in exhaustion. The energy it took sustaining the reiatsu shield that successfully blocked a majority of the unspeakably powerful kidou attack had drained him completely. His arms shook with the effort of simply holding his zanpakutou, the blade feeling dozens of kilograms heavier. He cursed himself again. His string of successes against the captain of the Gotei 13 had made him complacent, and it seemed to be his downfall.

Aizen smirked confidently down at the injured genius. "Looks like even with all your talk you are still just a child." He raised his blade, resting the edge lightly against Ichigo's outstretched neck like an executioner. "But it all ends here. Goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo." He prepared to swing, but was cut off with the whoosh of flash-steps. Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen appeared next to him, both grievously injured. Ichimaru's arm was coated in ice and was sporting a gash that ran the length of his other arm. Tousen's shihakusho and haori were ripped to shreds, and he had multiple lacerations on and around his torso.

Kneeling, Tousen said, "My greatest apologies, Aizen-taicho. Unfortunately, though I was able to defeat Kuchiki Byakuya, I suffered too many injuries to be of much further support."

Beside him, Ichimaru grinned even through the pain of his injuries. "It's similar with me, Aizen-taicho. I beat Hitsugaya, but I don't know if I can even hold my zanpakutou normally."

Aizen tsked slightly as the sound of more flash-steps heralded the arrival of Yamamoto, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Soi Fon, and Yoruichi. He turned to see his hollow forces being shredded by Zaraki Kenpachi and the vice-captains. He sighed in disappointment. Turning to the captains of the Gotei 13, he said, "It appears that if we continue in this manner, I will not be able to defeat you all. I will retreat for now, but your troubles have only begun."

Turning back to Ichigo, who was struggling to remain upright, Aizen thrust a hand into his robes. "I've been wanted to try out this particular formula for a while. You'll make the perfect test subject." Withdrawing a syringe, he plunged the needle into Ichigo's neck. Cruelly pushing in the plunger, he withdrew the needle roughly. Blood welled out of the puncture wound, and Aizen chuckled darkly. "Sweet dreams, Kurosaki Ichigo." He flicked Ichigo's head lightly, and he dropped like a stone.

"Ichigo!" Rukia screamed, seeing her Strawberry plummet out of the sky, blood streaming from the numerous wounds on his body. A flash of red crossed her vision, and Ichigo was caught and laid gently on the ground by Abarai Renji. He was immediately moved gently but firmly aside by Unohana Retsu, who immediately began emergency procedures.

Aizen turned his back on the shinigami, gesturing to his companions. "Come, it's time to go."

"Not so fast!" Yamamoto barked. Disappearing in flash-step, all present captains surrounded the traitors. "You aren't going anywhere!"

Aizen smiled casually. "I beg to differ, Yamamoto-soutaicho." A massive crack opened in the sky, and three golden beams shot down from it, surrounding the traitors. The three ex-captains rose into the air, completely untouchable. "Goodbye, Soul Society."

#

"Ichigo… Ichigo!"

"Please, Kuchiki-san! If you continue to act this way, I will have to forcibly evict you. I cannot allow you to hover over Kurosaki-san. You're getting in the way of the healers!"

Ichigo cracked open an eyelid, blearily looking around for the source of the noise that was shooting through his head like a hot spike. "Do you think you could keep it down a bit? My head is a bit sore right now…"

He was cut off as his lips were crushed beneath a pair of very soft, _very_ sweet, lips. Someone coughed nervously, and Ichigo heard the door open and close, leaving himself and none other than Kuchiki Rukia alone in the hospital room.

Breaking off the kiss, Ichigo gasped for breath. "No offense, Rukia, but it's a bit hard to breathe with you on my chest like that."

Rukia flushed bright red as she realized the compromising position the two were in. Quickly getting off of Ichigo, she stood by his bedside. "I'm glad you're awake. I was so worried when you fell out of the air. What did that bastard Aizen do to you?"

Ichigo said, "I'm still wondering about that myself. I mean, apart from getting completely battered and torn up by a powerful forbidden kidou, I seem to be fine. Any effects from whatever Aizen injected me with haven't shown up yet. That means that either it was defective, or it's a long-term thing. I'll have to get a blood sample and test it to find out."

Rukia shook her head and smiled in exasperation. "Ichigo, just let Unohana-taicho worry about it. You're alive and okay, that's all that matters, to me at least."

Ichigo grinned wryly. "Well, I'm glad you think of me that way." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing Rukia to blush mildly.

She smacked him on his head. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Strawberry."

Ichigo was about to make a complaint about her misuse of his name when he noticed how happy she was doing it. _Well, if it makes her happy, I guess I won't say anything. _He considered that last thought. _I guess that means we're together, huh._ He voiced this to Rukia absentmindedly.

Rukia stuttered for a little bit. "Uh, well, that is…" She took a moment to compose herself. "I guess so."

Ichigo chuckled at her flustered state. "But what would your brother say? You're the adopted heir of one of the four great noble houses of the Seireitei. I'm the upstart human who took your powers, defeated a captain of the Gotei 13, destroyed the execution stand of the Soukyoku, and rescued a condemned traitor. He would never approve."

"Unfortunately for you, Kurosaki Ichigo, that is where you are incorrect." Ichigo turned his head to stare as Kuchiki Byakuya shut the door to his room behind him. "I have already informed Rukia. I suppose I have neglected to speak to you about these matters."

Ichigo glanced from Byakuya's impassive visage to Rukia's smiling, albeit slightly red one. "What matters? What are you talking about?"

"I am speaking of course about your courtship with Rukia," Byakuya said without preamble. "I have watched you organize the ambush against the traitor Aizen and his allies. I have fought you one-on-one. You are strong, and I could see your feelings for Rukia on the Soukyoku Hill. You clearly love her, and you are strong enough to protect her from all dangers. I have judged you worthy of courting Rukia."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at Byakuya's words. "Are you implying that Rukia isn't strong enough to protect herself? I have full faith in her abilities and strength. The Houkyoku was sapping her reiatsu and strength for a long time. I don't know when Urahara Kisuke put it in her soul, but I know without a doubt that Rukia is strong. In fact, her strength now could easily earn her a seated position in her division. Why is it that she isn't at least tenth seat?"

Byakuya's stern visage softened slightly, just enough for Ichigo's trained and experienced eyes to see. "That is another reason I deemed you worthy of being Rukia's suitor. You have faith in her abilities and strength, as you said so yourself. You have proven yourself worthy."

Ichigo retorted, "That's all well and good, but that doesn't answer my question. Why isn't Rukia a seated officer?" Byakuya still didn't answer, but raised a single eyebrow. Ichigo read the question in the noble's eyes. _You're the genius here. Figure it out._ Realization struck him. "You were trying to protect her." Rukia's eyes widened. "You had her taken off the list of nominees for seated officers. Generally, the duties of seated officers are significantly more dangerous than those of unseated shinigami. You were just trying to carry out your deceased wife's last wish, to find her sister and take her in, to protect her."

Byakuya inclined his head in confirmation. Rukia was shocked beyond belief. "Nii-sama… you…"

"Rukia, please, hear me out. As your sister Hisana lay on her deathbed, she asked for one last request. She had told me before of her little sister, whom she had abandoned in the Rukongai when you were just an infant. I swore that I would find you and care for you. When word came that a student had entered the academy that looked just like Hisana, I knew instinctively that this was her sister. My suspicions were confirmed when I visited the academy and saw you. You were the spitting image of her…" Byakuya's words trailed off, his eyes becoming misty and lost in the past. Ichigo and Rukia were silent, respecting the noble's memories of his dear departed wife.

Byakuya shook his head slightly, dispelling the moment. "I petitioned the elders of the clan to adopt you. It was difficult convincing them, but they finally caved, under the condition that from that moment on I would completely obey all the laws of the Seireitei. Adopting a commoner from the Rukongai into a noble clan was, and is, unheard of. Never again was I to make a decision that the elders did not approve of. It was because of this that I was unable to do anything to stop your execution, Rukia. But when I entered the world of the living to bring you back to the Soul Society and was confronted by a human, to whom you had given your powers, I was sure that you would be fine. I saw in this boy's eyes the will to protect, and the determination and motivation, the passion that drove him to become even stronger, for the sake of rescuing you."

Ichigo smiled softly as he saw tears appear in Rukia's eyes. It was clear that Byakuya, although stiff and uptight, clearly cared for his sister. He mentally retracted his words to Byakuya, spoken that night weeks ago in the living world. Byakuya was doing his best to be a good brother to Rukia, and he had no doubt the noble would only do better.

Turning back to Ichigo, Byakuya said, "Now, we need to discuss the matters of your courtship with Rukia. The elders of the clan may not approve, but I don't doubt that you will work around that disapproval. However, the two of you still have to adhere to traditional courting here in Soul Society."

Ichigo nodded, lacing fingers with Rukia, who blushed but gripped his hand tightly. "Deal, as long as you allow us to do it the human way when we are in the world of the living. I'm sure you're aware that courtship, as you call it, is different today than several centuries ago."

Byakuya nodded. "That is acceptable. I wish you the best of luck. I must depart now, for I have important matters to attend to in my divisions." He left the room. The door slid shut behind him with a quiet thud.

All was silent, before Rukia squealed a very un-Rukia-like squeal. "Well, there's the answer to our problem, Ichigo! Nii-sama approves!" She hugged him tightly.

Ichigo smiled. "I knew he would, Rukia. I knew he would." He pressed his lips to hers, and the two lost themselves in the kiss, overcome by the happiness of the moment.

#

I'm back! This chapter is a bit late, and a bit short, but this officially wraps up the first arc of this story. Some fluff for you all to finish things up! Work is a bit busy, but the next chapter should be posted more or less on schedule mid next week. Thank you all for reading. This is a milestone in the plot of this story, and I would greatly appreciate some reviews and thoughts about how it turned out. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you all in a few days with the beginning of a new arc, and some events that will surprise many of you, I'm sure! Peace!

~fokker333


	17. Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Some material may not be suited for children under the age of 14. Reader discretion is advised.

The moment Ichigo was allowed to leave the Fourth division hospital, he immediately disappeared. Even Rukia didn't know where he vanished to, although moments before he went missing, he had told Rukia that he had "things to arrange, people to contact, and shit to throw at the fan." Although his physical injuries had healed, Unohana-taicho had found nothing irregular about him from the strange substance Aizen had injected into his bloodstream. Either there wasn't anything wrong and Aizen was simply bluffing about the injection, or the Fourth division's instruments simply couldn't detect what the injection was supposed to do.

Rukia suspected that Kurotsuchi Mayuri and his equipment in the Research and Development Institute could give them some indication on the injection, but unfortunately the scientist captain was dead. A few days ago they had found Kurotsuchi Nemu, Mayuri's "daughter" and vice captain of the Twelfth division dead in the lab. Third Seat Akon informed the captains and vice captains of the Gotei that Nemu was not a true daughter of Mayuri, but was rather created using the captain's genetic material and greatly modified, becoming in the process more of a "mod soul" than a true shinigami. Apparently, the two highest-ranking officers of the Twelfth division were connected with more than blood; Akon reported that Nemu had died of massive heart failure, likely due to the fact that Mayuri was dead. The estimated time of death had been mere moments after Ishida killed Mayuri, removing his soul from the cycle of reincarnation due to his powers as a Quincy. As a result, the Twelfth division was left without a captain or a vice captain, leaving Akon as the highest-ranked officer.

Rukia wondered what it was that had called Ichigo away so urgently. Maybe something in the world of the living, she mused. She had learned in the time that she had spent with him there that nothing could get in the way if his sisters were in trouble. This possibility was dispelled quickly though, as Rukia could still feel his reiatsu, however faint, in the Soul Society. She frowned, and then sighed. Whatever he was up to, he couldn't tell her. She was sure though that once the time came he would let her know about whatever it was that made him unavailable for so long.

#

"Look, I don't care if you aren't allowed back here. I've got it taken care of. Just be at the First division at noon tomorrow, alright?" Ichigo paused, listening to the voice on the other end of the phone. "Yes, I know that they probably won't like this." Pause. "_Yes_, I know that there may be negative consequences." Another pause. "YES, I understand the risks I'm taking here. But I need someone to fill out the role, and you're the best person to do that." … "No, they don't know anything about who the candidate is. I bet they aren't even expecting me to have someone picked out so quickly. They only told me yesterday." … "Stop complaining. You owe me a favor. I swore that I would punish you for what you did, and this is gonna be your punishment. You don't want me to tell _her_ that you'd go back on a promise, would you?" … "I thought so. Tomorrow at noon. Be there, alright? And _wait for my signal._ This has to be dramatic enough that I'll have time to explain the situation. The explanation is key."

Ichigo hung up the phone and sighed in exasperation. _Politics_, he thought with contempt. _Who gives a shit?_ After all, in the mere days that he had been in the Soul Society, he had beaten the unbeatable gatekeeper, defeated a captain, and created an alliance to foil the plans of a trio of traitor captains. The request the captain-commander had sent him the day before was equally unheard of. Ichigo figured that something as comparatively insignificant as getting _that man_ to take _that_ position would just be another note on his file he was sure the Soul Society was already building on him. He shut the phone with a sharp _snap_, slipped it into his shihakusho, and vanished in a flash-step. He had things to do, and they didn't include standing around thinking. Kami knows he does enough of that.

#

Hitsugaya Toushiro and Hinamori Momo walked hand-in-hand down a stone walkway to a small, rundown, but still neatly kept cottage in the first district of West Rukongai, Junrinan. Momo smiled widely at the familiar sigh. "How long has it been since we last visited, Shiro-chan? Not since you became captain, right?"

Hitsugaya didn't even mind the childish nickname anymore. "Yeah, that's about right," he said, running his free hand through his messy white hair. "I wonder how granny's doing. I bet she'll be happy to see us. I wonder if she knows how high-ranking in the Gotei 13 we are now."

Momo giggled. "More importantly, I wonder what she'll say when she finds out that we're together. I hope she doesn't have a heart attack."

Having said this, the couple reached the end of the walkway. They climbed the steps to the house and Hitsugaya knocked on the door, the three sharp raps that he always knocked with. The pair stood back and waited for the door to open.

After waiting for a few minutes, the door slid open to reveal an elderly, stooped old woman. She looked at the captain's haori and vice captain's armband the two were sporting, confusing clear on her face as she wondered what business such high-ranked shinigami had with her. Then the old woman looked at their faces and her own lit up in a wide smile. "Momo, Toushiro! I didn't recognize you two at first! It's been such a long time since you two last visited, I was beginning to wonder what happened. Now I see. You must have been busy with your duties. You've become so powerful! I'm so proud of you." She wrapped the couple in a tight hug, and they reciprocated it, happy that after such a long time they were able to reunite with the woman who had raised them as her own children.

Breaking apart after a few minutes of hugging, the old woman looked knowingly at Hitsugaya and Momo's clasped hands. She winked knowingly at the pair, causing Hinamori to blush and look away and Hitsugaya to roll his eyes. "Well, it certainly took the two of you long enough. When did this start?"

"Just a few days ago," Hitsugaya replied. "The circumstances behind this are quite the story."

The old woman nodded in understanding. "Most things like this are. So, you're a captain now, Toushiro? And you're a vice captain? Are you Toushiro's vice captain? What division are you in?"

Hitsugaya replied, "I am the captain of the Tenth division. Momo is the vice captain of the Fifth division."

"The Fifth division, huh? So your captain is that nice man Aizen? How is he doing? I remember he was the only thing you ever talked about when you were the academy."

Momo's expression darkened and she looked away. "Sousuke Aizen is no longer a captain of the Gotei 13. He betrayed all of Soul Society. I want nothing to do with that man anymore."

Hitsugaya wrapped an arm around her protectively. He knew that it was still a sore topic to bring up. "Aizen murdered the Central 46 and stabbed Momo and me when we went to investigate."

"It was only thanks to Toushiro's quick thinking that we are still alive today," Momo admitted, her eyes still staring at the ground. "I owe my life to him."

There was silence as the old woman digested these new revelations. She looked at the pair with steely eyes. "I hope that Aizen bastard got what he deserved, then. Was he caught?"

Hitsugaya tsked in annoyance. "No, he escaped along with two other traitor captains. It was close, though. Thanks to a human named Kurosaki Ichigo, we were almost able to stop the betrayal before it got too serious. We don't know where they are now, although we have some suspicions."

The old woman laughed and shook her head. "It looks like we have a lot to talk about then. Come on it, let's get some tea and we all can get caught up." The three entered the neat little cottage and the door closed behind them.

#

"Let this captain and vice captain's meeting begin! Our first order of business is undoubtedly our most urgent. Due to recent events, four of our divisions are currently missing captains. The Third, Fifth, and Ninth because of the traitors, and the Twelfth is missing both its captain and its vice captain, as Kurotsuchi-fukutaicho was found dead in the Research and Development Institute a few days ago. As of such, the Twelfth division is the division with the most urgent need for a new captain. Therefore, the new captain nominee, if he passes the requirements, will become the new captain of the Twelfth division." Yamamoto banged his staff on the floor, and the massive double doors opened.

A dark silhouette stood framed in the light streaming in. Mutterings broke out as a certain orange-haired genius strode in, sealed zanpakutou sheathed at his back. He walked to the middle of the hall and bowed deeply to the assembled high-ranking shinigami.

Yamamoto spoke. "Kurosaki Ichigo. In these troubled times, the Gotei 13 is in dire need of assistance. In the past few days, you have proven yourself resourceful, powerful, and an effective leader. With the authority granted to me by martial law, I nominate Kurosaki Ichigo the captain of the Twelfth division." He held up a hand as several voiced their disagreement. "Given our current lack of captains, instead of nine, I only require six captains to vouch for Kurosaki Ichigo. If you wish to do so, now is the time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hitsugaya Toushiro stepped forward. "I will vouch for him, Yamamoto-soutaicho. He has proven himself to be a valuable ally, an effective leader," here he paused for a moment, then continued, "and a good friend." He bowed to the captain-commander and stepped back into place. Momo smiled vibrantly at him. She was happy to see cold captain make some friends.

The moment he stepped back, Kenpachi took his place. "I'll vouch for Ichigo," the battle-crazed captain of the Eleventh division called. "I want a rematch!" He grinned crazily. The assorted captains groaned but said nothing. He was a captain after all, and his support counted the same as anyone else's.

Soi Fon called out immediately, "Yamamoto-soutaicho! I protest at this. This boy cannot possibly become a captain. It is against all laws for him to be promoted! He is a human, and he has not completed the required time serving in the Gotei 13!" She was silenced as Yamamoto pounded has cane.

"Silence! We cannot afford to be missing so many captains while waging an active war against Aizen. Much as we may not like the fact, we _need_ him to take the captaincy position. We have two vouches standing. Anyone else?"

One after another, Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushirou stepped forward and gave their support. Four down, with two to go. In a move that surprised many present, Unohana Retsu stepped forward. "I recognize that this is out of necessity. I will vouch for him," she said in her soft voice. One more.

The silence was deafening. Some of those gathered were hoping for another vouch. Yet some were hoping for the opposite. The silence was broken suddenly as Kuchiki Byakuya stepped forward. "I will vouch for him," he said simply. Soi Fon and Komamura protested immediately, but were silenced once again by Yamamoto.

"We have six votes. Congratulations, Kurosaki Ichigo. Come forward and take this haori. Wear it with pride, as it represents everything the Gotei 13 stands for."

Ichigo donned the haori and bowed. "Thank you, Yamamoto-soutaicho." He took his place between Hitsugaya and Ukitake. The elder white-haired captain whispered a quiet congratulation, while the younger nodded tersely.

"Kurosaki-taicho," Yamamoto continued, using his title for the first time, "since your division still lacks a vice captain, you have a week to find a suitable candidate. You will present the candidate before us, and we shall judge to see if they are worthy.

Ichigo grinned a crafty grin, one that many had come to know as an indication that he was up to no good. "No need for that, Yamamoto-soutaicho," he said. "I already have someone in mind." Turning to the door, Ichigo called out, "Come on in!"

The doors slowly creaked open, revealing a figure wearing thick wooden sandals and a green-and-white striped bucket hat. "Allow me to introduce, or in some cases re-introduce, the candidate for the vice captaincy of the Twelfth division and the presidency of the Research and Development Institute."

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes at the man, who tipped his hat to the gathered shinigami. There were gasps of anger and outrage from some of the captains. "Urahara Kisuke."

#

BAM! Bet you didn't expect that one! Early chapter for you guys, exactly three thousand words long including the disclaimer and not the author's note. I'm posting this early because I don't know if I'll have a chance to write a full chapter during the week. So here's my way of apologizing if I don't. If I do, you guys get a nice little treat. Let's hit three hundred reviews on this one, guys! Thanks for reading, drop a review and I'll catch you later. Peace!

~fokker333

#

After reading some of the initial reviews to this chapter, I've decided to go back and rework some things. Rukia's sudden promotion didn't really sit well with me after some thought, so I've completely removed that. Not to worry, she will eventually be promoted. But she needs to be trained first before she's strong enough. Thanks for reading!

~fokker333


	18. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Some material may not be suitable for children. Reader discretion is advised.

"YOU!" Soi Fon shouted in fury. Whipping her zanpakutou out of the sheath strapped horizontally to her back, she lunged at Urahara, who stood and did nothing. His face was hidden by the brim of his hat, and he made no move to dodge or resist. Soi Fon grinned viciously as her blade came within an inch of Urahara's throat. She prepared herself for the satisfying feeling of steel tearing through skin, muscle, and bone, the triumphant spray of the blood of a traitor pouring out of his severed jugular artery. They never came. Instead, she stared in shock at the hand which was grasping her wrist. The tip of her blade stopped short, pressing lightly into the pulsing vein on Urahara's neck.

Ichigo tightened his grip on her wrist. "Soi Fon-taicho. While I understand your hatred of this man, please keep in mind the fact that he is here under my protection. If you harm him, you will have to answer to me."

Shaking in anger, Soi Fon slowly removed her zanpakutou from Urahara's neck. Sheathing it with a menacing _click_, she glared at Urahara, then at Ichigo, before returning to her place in the line of captains. The silence that followed was laced with heavy killing intent from several captains and vice captains, directed straight at the man wearing the green-and-white striped hat.

Ukitake was the first to break the silence. "Kurosaki-taicho, do you know who this man is? What he's done? A hundred years ago, Urahara Kisuke was exiled to the world of the living for the hollowfication and subsequent vanishing of four captains, three vice captains, and the captain of the Kidou Corps."

Ichigo looked straight into the white-haired captain's eyes. "I know exactly what happened that night a hundred years ago. Unfortunately, it is you who do not." He turned in a slow circle, addressing the entirety of the hall. "You all believe that it was Urahara Kisuke who was responsible for the hollowfication of the group known as the 'Visoreds' a century ago. Although he was in fact the creator of the object known as the Hougyoku, which blurs the line between shinigami and hollow, he never used it to do so."

Soi Fon immediately interrupted. "Where is your proof? I refuse to accept this story unless you have cold, hard proof!"

Byakuya, although he had been listening to Ichigo's story, raised a thin eyebrow. "I also find this a bit hard to swallow. However, given your previous record, Kurosaki-taicho, I believe that you do have some definitive proof?"

"Yes, I think we would all like some proof about these matters, Kurosaki-taicho. Please don't think that your recently-promoted status can acquit a man who has been exiled for a hundred years," growled Yamamoto.

Ichigo laced his fingers behind his back, pacing before the assembled captains and vice captains like a lawyer about to present his case to the jury. "I am not here to prove that he did not commit the crime. In fact, there is little to no evidence apart from the testimonies of the witnesses, who are in this case also the victims, of the crime of hollowfication that can possibly acquit Urahara Kisuke from his current sentence. However," Ichigo held up a hand, silencing a frustrated growl from Soi Fon, "my purpose here is to convince you, who are acting as the jury, to the fact that Urahara Kisuke was wrongly convicted for his crimes. He should not have been sentenced into exile at all."

"How do you intend to pull this one off, Kurosaki-taicho?" asked Hitsugaya curiously. The white-haired prodigy was intensely curious as to how the orange-haired genius could get Urahara out of his current situation.

"Simple," Ichigo said with a sly smirk. "Why was Urahara sentenced to exile? Because the Central 46 sentenced him thus. But on what basis was this sentence made?" He paused a little to let this question sink in. After seeing a few eyes widen in realization, Ichigo continued. "The Central 46, when given evidence that hollowfication occurred, sentenced Urahara Kisuke into exile. Where did this evidence come from?" Gasps and muted curses rang out as those who hadn't understood previously came to the realization that Ichigo had been hoping they would come to. "That's right. The evidence came from Sousuke Aizen, the same man who betrayed the Soul Society recently. Now I don't know how it works here, but in the living world, the testimony of a traitor is null and void. Urahara Kisuke's sentence should not have been given in the first place."

There was silence as the shinigami let this sink in. It was broken by a loud guffaw from Kyoraku. Tipping the brim of his straw hat back with his index finger, he laughed loudly, startling many present. After his laughter subsided, he sighed. "Man, Kurosaki-taicho," he said. "You really redefine the definition of 'technicality,' don't you?"

Ichigo grinned. "You'd better believe it!"

Yamamoto banged his staff against the floor. "Very well, Kurosaki-taicho. You are completely correct in this regard. Your argument will be enough for Urahara Kisuke's sentence to be revoked and promote him to the position of vice captain in your squad. I have the power in wartime to do so. However, he must be placed on probation until enough evidence is gathered to completely acquit him from his crime."

Ichigo bowed to the captain-commander. "Thank you, Yamamoto-soutaicho. I will personally take the responsibility of keeping him in check." He turned to the still-bowed Urahara. "Stand up, Kisuke. As of now, you are the vice captain of the Twelfth division and the president of the Research and Development Institute! I will not take that position, as I feel you are more qualified at it than me. However, as of this moment, you answer only to the captains. You bow only to them. Don't grovel."

Urahara stood and allowed Ichigo to tie the arm-band around his bicep. He bowed, but not quite so deeply this time, to the assembly. "Thank you all for giving me this opportunity to redeem myself. I alone know the specifics of the Houkyoku and what it is capable of, and so I alone know how to stop it." He paused, as if considering. "That is, of course, Kurosaki-taicho is truly smart enough to grasp the science behind it."

There were mutterings at the apparent insubordination, but Ichigo only rolled his eyes. Smacking Urahara on the back of his head, he said, "Stuff it, geta-boushi. Don't forget, you're still on probation."

Urahara rubbed the sore spot ruefully. "I suppose you're right. My apologies, Kurosaki-taicho."

Yamamoto cleared his throat. "Now that that's been taken care of, we need to move on to other matters. We need to decide the fate of the Quincy, Ishida Uryu." Beside him, Ishida flinched at the contempt the captain-commander placed on the word _Quincy_.

Urahara spoke. "If I may, captain-commander, I may have solution to the problem. Ishida-kun has lost his power after using the Quincy artifact known as the _sanrei _glove. However, I believe that it is completely possible for him to regain them after extensive training. The problem lies with the fact that Quincy attacks kill hollows completely, removing them from the cycle of reincarnation. This could lead to an imbalance of souls. I think that by working together, Kurosaki-taicho and I could modify the very nature of Ishida-kun's attacks, causing them to purify hollows and send them here to the Soul Society rather than destroy them."

Ichigo added, "Additionally, since I will be staying full-time in the Soul Society, barring occasional visits to my family, Karakura Town will need someone to patrol and purify hollows. I think Urahara and I can also come up with a way for Ishida to perform konso on souls. He can be the official representative of the Soul Society in Karakura Town."

Ishida scowled slightly at the thought of being so closely associated with the shinigami, but the thought of his grandfather's last wish kept him from voicing his dissatisfaction.

Soi Fon called out, "There is still the matter of his killing of former captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri. Will he not be punished for this crime?"

Surprisingly, Byakuya let out a small snort. "Surely you aren't suggesting that his death is a crime? That man was imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest. Since he was released, he has committed countless crimes in the name of science, not to mention the torture of thousands of Quincy. He has been cited for inhumane treatment of his subordinates more times than ever in Gotei 13 history. Frankly, I believe his permanent death is a favor to us all."

Yamamoto sighed. "As loathe as I am to do so, Kuchiki-taicho, I have to agree with you. Had there been a suitable replacement for the man, I would have had him removed from command and his powers seals as soon as I could. However, there was simply nobody of his intellect and caliber as a scientist to replace him. Now, however, I believe that problem has solved itself for us." He nodded at Ichigo and Urahara.

Soi Fon at this point seemed resigned to the fact that justice would not be served anytime today. She made no objection to this. She had never liked the clown-faced captain anyways.

"This is the end of our agenda. Are there any questions?"

"Actually," Hitsugaya interceded before the captain-commander ended the meeting. "I've been meaning to ask you this question for a while now, and I'm sure it's on the mind of several others here. In your fight against Aizen, Kurosaki-taicho, why did you tell him the secret behind your shadow movement technique? It gave Aizen an advantage that he wouldn't normally had had."

Ichigo replied, "It's a very good question, Hitsugaya-taicho, and the answer is a bit complicated. I'll do my best to address it and not sound too cocky at the same time. The point is that I am a genius. Subsequently, I when I fight someone, I like to know where their intelligence stands compared to mine. The best way to measure someone's intellect is to do exactly what I did: introduce a new, unknown variable, and observe their response. I introduced my shadow movement technique, and Aizen responded. Action, reaction. Simple as that. I have to admit, thought, that I underestimated him quite badly. I didn't think that he could pull of a kidou attack that made the area so bright that there were no shadows for me to use. I will need to study the various kidou attacks more carefully than I have up to this point. Now, I have a question for you, Hitsugaya-taicho, and you, Kuchiki-taicho." The two addressed captains looked at Ichigo.

"I heard Gin and Tousen say that they had defeated you in combat, but by the time I had healed, the two of you were fine. What happened?" Ichigo looked inquiringly between the two captains.

Hitsugaya was the first to respond. "Neither of us went all-out, Kurosaki-taicho. Both Ichimaru Gin and I retrained ourselves only to shikai. It was more of a match of swordsmanship than anything else. We both managed to incapacitate each other to the point that further fighting would be ineffective, and he retreated."

Byakuya said, "Kaname Tousen released his bankai. It has the ability to deprive his opponent of all their senses, excluding touch. I was caught off-guard initially at my blindness and deafness, and the traitor managed to score a few hits. However, I recovered and went into bankai. My bankai is perfectly suited for countering Tousen's, and we, like Hitsugaya-taicho, fought to a draw."

Ichigo nodded. "That makes sense. Thanks for letting me know."

"If there are no other questions, then let this meeting come to an end!"

#

Rukia's head perked up as she sensed Ichigo's reiatsu leave the First division barracks. Setting down her calligraphy pen, she left her room in the Kuchiki Manor. Flash-stepping her way towards him, Rukia thought, _I wonder what they wanted with him in the first place. After all, those meetings are reserved for captains and vice captains only._ She shook her head and smiled. _Then again, since when has Ichigo played by the rules?_

She flashed into view of Ichigo and almost lost her balance. Skidding to a halt, she gawked at the white haori he was wearing, the kanji for the number twelve emblazoned proudly across the back. Her jaw dropped even more as she saw who the man standing next to her strawberry, wearing the vice captain's armband of the Twelfth division, was.

"Ichigo, what-" Her confused protest was cut off as Urahara dropped to the ground in a deep bow.

"Kuchiki Rukia, I am deeply sorry for what my actions have put you through. I have caused you unimaginable pain, both physical and emotional, by hiding the Hougyoku in your soul. My actions are inexcusable, and I humbly ask for your pardon."

Rukia blinked. She had not expected this. Any of it, from Ichigo being promoted to Urahara's exile being revoked to the man himself, the genius inventor of the Seireitei, bowing before her! However, she recovered from her shock quickly, as befitting her membership of the Kuchiki clan. Inclining her head slightly, she said, "Urahara Kisuke, your offenses are forgiven. You were acting with the intention of protecting the Soul Society. However, I ask of you one thing, as compensation for what you have done."

Keeping his head bowed, Urahara could not help but let a hint of curiosity into his voice. "What is it that you want, Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia grinned. "Just this," she said, kneeing the bowing man in the face. Falling back on his behind, Urahara clutched his bleeding nose in pain. She turned away from the writhing man. "Now we're even."

Ichigo burst into laughter as he saw the blood spurting in gouts from his vice captain's nose. "Nice one, Rukia!" he said appreciatively. He turned to his now-dramatically wailing vice captain in exasperation. "Would you shut up, geta-boushi? You deserved that, don't even try to deny it. Just, go to the division ahead of me and get rid of whatever inhumane experiments Mayuri had running. Oh, and try to get rid of the modifications on the division members if you can, too. I want every trace that Mayuri used to be in charge there gone by the time I get there. I'm in charge now, and things in that division are going to be run very differently."

Waiting until Urahara disappeared in a flash-step, still wailing about his broken nose, Ichigo turned back to Rukia. Offering her a small smile that softened his scowling features significantly, he offered a hand, which she took gladly. "You know that your brother gave me permission to court you, right?" he said. "When I heard that, my already high opinion of your brother jumped significantly."

Rukia elbowed Ichigo playfully. "Of course I know. He visited me in prison the day before the execution just to tell me that you were here to rescue me."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at this new revelation. "Oh? I wasn't aware." He was quiet a bit, then spoke. "I called him a bad brother that time in the living world, when they came and took you. Boy was I wrong. I didn't even realize how hard he had it. It's not easy, having to decide between the death wish of his wife and the vow he made to his parents to uphold the law."

Rukia said, "Yeah. I bet he was glad you were here to save me when he chose the latter, huh?"

Ichigo laughed. "You bet he was!"

"I'm glad you and he are getting along," Rukia said. "This way, I don't have to chose between the two of you," she joked.

Putting on a mock scowl, Ichigo said, "I don't know about here in Soul Society, but where I come from, incest is highly frowned upon, you know."

Rukia smiled and smacked Ichigo in the back of the head. "Stupid strawberry, you know what I mean." She stopped walking as a thought occurred to her. "What are you going to do with your life in the world of the living? How are you going to juggle your obligations there and your responsibilities here as a captain?"

Ichigo said, "Don't worry about it. I've got it all figured out already." He sighed a bit. "It's not the best solution, and I don't really want to do it, but it's pretty much the only way I can pull this off. I'm going to fake my death in the human world." Seeing Rukia being to object, he cut her off. "If you're going to complain because I giving up the chance to live a normal life, Rukia, remember what I told you before. My life lost any semblance of normality that day my mother died. There's pretty much no chance I could ever live a normal human life. I've resigned myself to that fact already. So I might as well live out my abnormal life as well as I can, and make the most of it? In fact, I've already started doing that. By making the decision to stay here in the Soul Society, with you." He blushed slightly at the last two words, but didn't divert his gaze from Rukia's eyes.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said. "Thank you. That means a lot for me, you know."

"By the way," Ichigo asked suddenly. "How much time do captains get to take off? I made a deal with Byakuya that while in Soul Society, our courtship would follow the traditional way. But in the world of the living, we can go on a date just like a human couple would. I just have to take you out in the human world. There are so many things that you've never experienced there before!"

Rukia blushed at the word _date_. "Well, I think captains can take one day off for every twenty-nine days of work. You can miss work for up to a week, and your off days can be stored. I'm sure there are specific limitations, but that's the general gist of it."

Ichigo nodded thoughtfully. Rukia nudged him playfully. "What, already planning our first date? What have you got in store for me?" she asked.

Ichigo tsked. "Now, that would be telling, wouldn't it, Rukia? It's a surprise."

Smiling the couple walked hand-in-hand down the street towards Ichigo's new division.

#

Ichigo took a deep breath. It was time for him to fake his death in the world of the living. He had found out that his idiot father was an ex-shinigami, a captain no less, and that Karin was spiritually aware. Rather than pissing him off, as many expected, Ichigo looked considerably more relaxed at the news. This would only make faking his death easier. This way, he could tell his family that he was not in fact dead and that he would be staying in the Soul Society. Of course, he had had to inform Yuzu and explain to her the whole deal behind his obligations as a captain.

She had taken it surprisingly well. After only a few tears, Yuzu had asked, "You'll visit us, right, Ichi-nii?"

Ichigo had nodded. "That's right, Yuzu. I'll visit you guys every month. I would do it more often, but that's all the time off I can get. Also, when I visit, I'll be wearing a disguised _gigai_ and traveling under an assumed name. Sorry about all the secrecy, but I'll supposed to be 'dead' here."

Now he stood at the street corner, looking at his watch. _Any day now would be good, geta-boushi_, he thought irritably as he waited for his vice captain's signal. An explosion rumbled in the distance, and a column of smoke began to rise in the air. _Finally. It's about time_, he thought. Acting as surprised and shocked as everybody else, he rushed into the street, seemingly oblivious to the oncoming traffic. At the very last second, he phased out of his body with the help of a glove similar to the one Urahara had given Rukia.

Leaping up and away from his body, Ichigo winced slightly as a loud BANGsounded as a large truck collided with the now-empty shell. People around his body gasped as it flew several feet, bouncing off the concrete. Ichigo winced again as he heard bones breaking. _That body's served me well for sixteen years. I'll miss it,_ he thought with a bit of amusement.

Turning, he opened a senkai gate and entered.

#

Hey guys, what's up? Here's another chapter of the story! Sorry I was late in the update, but work's been pretty darn busy. On the plus side, we hit three hundred reviews last chapter! Congratulations to **KUROI VOID** for being the 300th reviewer! So this chapter and the next few will be wrapping up loose ends from the first arc as we prepare to enter the next big one. Thanks for reading, drop a review if you could be so kind, and I'll see you all next time with a new update!

~fokker333


	19. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Some content in this chapter may not be suitable for certain audiences. Reader discretion is advised.

It had been a full week since Ichigo became the youngest ever captain of the Gotei 13. Since then, he had completely changed the Twelfth division and the Research and Development Institute. There were no more creepy experiments bubbling in the lab, no more dissection tables, no more desiccated corpses hanging in a giant cold room. Instead, it now strongly resembled a government laboratory, with bright white sterile environments. The division members too had been greatly changed. With much effort on Ichigo and Urahara's part, the majority of the shinigami who had been experimented upon by Kurotsuchi and had survived were now back to normal. This act had won the loyalty of many of the division members, who had resented and hated the clown-faced Kurotsuchi.

Ichigo looked up from the examination table, sweat dripping from his brow. "Alright, Akon-san. That's all. You're done here."

Third Seat Akon sat up, brushing the back of his hand against his forehead, where only recently a number of short horns had sat. His hand touched only smooth skin. Akon broke into a smile, bowing deeply to his new captain. "Thank you, Kurosaki-taicho! I cannot begin to express my gratitude!"

Ichigo was satisfied. Akon was the last division member he and Urahara had returned to normal. Finally, his division was normal again. "Don't mention it, Akon-san. I did what I had to in order to ensure the safety and well-being of my subordinates." Yet another characteristic that caused Ichigo and his subordinates to grow closer. Kurotsuchi had never cared about the health of his subordinates. In fact, in several situations it seemed like he had been actively trying to undermine it through disgusting and immoral experiments.

Currently, Ichigo was locked up with Urahara in one of the inner laboratories. Only Third Seat Akon had been allowed to enter, and even then it was only to deliver a number of _ginto_ that Ichigo had requested from Uryu. The Quincy had been very confused by the request, but nonetheless provided the small capsule-like reiatsu containers Ichigo had asked for. They had been in the lab for hours, and passing division members swore they could hear metallic ringing and pounding, as if someone were smelting something inside.

Rukia pounded on the door to the lab. "Ichigo!" she shouted, trying to make herself heard over the pounding and ringing. "It's Rukia! What are you doing in there?"

The pounding stopped abruptly, leaving a silence in which a dropped pin could be easily heard. The three-inch thick steel door, lined with sekki-seki, opened abruptly and Ichigo poked his head out. "Oh, Rukia. What's up?" he asked nonchalantly.

Rukia was indignant. "Ichigo, what have you and Urahara been up to? You've been locked up in that room for almost ten hours now! Nobody knows what you're doing. People are getting worried!"

Ichigo put a finger to his lips. "Shh, not so loud!" he said, looking around furtively. Grabbing her wrist, he whispered in her ear, "Actually, this is quite convenient. You're a kidou expert, right? I require your expertise." The soft whoosh of flash-step heralded the arrival of…

"Ah, excellent, Hinamori-fukutaicho. You received my summons then?"

Momo nodded. "I did, although I have to admit that I'm curious what exactly you need my help for, Kurosaki-taicho. This won't take too long, will it? I have a few hours to spare, but I really need to get back to my division."

Ichigo smirked. "Don't worry. I needed the help of some kidou experts for my newest… project, if you will. Please, come in!" Grabbing Momo's wrist in his other hand, he yanked both into the lab. The two gave a startled squeak as the heavy steel sekki-seki-lined door shut behind them.

Rukia and Momo found themselves staring at a massive room. Bright, sterile fluorescent lights illuminated the area. In the corner was a massive furnace, and a trough of water sat next to it. An anvil sat in front of the furnace, with a hammer lying across it. "A foundry…?"

Rukia's eye caught on the large stainless steel table set in the middle of the room and her breath caught in her throat. On it sat a large silver revolver. Rukia recognized it from one of the numerous cop shows she had watched in the living world. Ichigo stroked his finger across the open chamber, spinning it idly. "Based off the human Colt Anaconda, firing .44 Magnum cartridges. Of course, this particular model doesn't shoot bullets. I've made some modifications of my own."

A light clinking caused Momo to gasp slightly. Sitting next to the revolver were lined row upon row of Quincy ginto. Ichigo also turned to look at the ginto, and he let out a frustrated sigh. "And there lies the problem with the current project. I am not well-versed enough with the mechanics and specifics behind kidou to manipulate the ginto enough, and Urahara isn't too familiar with the Quincy artifacts. Since you two are, according to your peers, kidou experts, I decided to enlist your help, to see if you could offer some insight into our problem. Our overall goal is to create a kidou spell and store it inside these capsules."

Momo and Rukia's eyes widened. Momo said slowly, "I don't think that's possible, Kurosaki-taicho. I know that the Quincy ginto store condensed _reiryoku_, but I don't know if it's possible to store an actual kidou spell. After all, kidou is reiryoku refined into a specific form…"

Rukia continued, "So if we were to try to store a spell inside the container, it would probably explode. To keep it from exploding without a user actively controlling it…"

The two kidou experts put their heads together, whispering. Ichigo felt that he was somehow missing something as Urahara joined them. _Tch. I may be decent at kidou, but I still can't grasp the specifics behind it…_ He was jarred out of his thoughts as Urahara cried, "Brilliant! I can't believe I didn't think of this before!"

Ichigo looked inquiringly at the trio of kidou experts. "Did you think of something?"

Rukia said, "The problem is that once the spell is released into the ginto, it becomes uncontrollable. You're basically creating a large explosion in a small container. But if the spell were to be compressed to fit…"

"You could induce a temporal stasis effect on the spell, which can be released when you want it!" Momo finished triumphantly.

Ichigo whooped in exhilaration, sweeping Rukia off her feet in a crushing hug. "You're brilliant! I knew it would be a good idea to get you to help!" He gave her a kiss that left her breathless.

"And you too, Hinamori-fukutaicho," he said, finally calming down a bit. "You've also been an invaluable help. Though I won't thank you the same way I did Rukia, I don't think Toushiro would like that." He smirked, causing Momo to blush.

"Er, well, no, I don't think he would," she stammered, clearly embarrassed that Ichigo know what was going on between her and the diminutive white-haired captain.

Ichigo clapped, turning back to the table. "Anyways, let's get back to work." He picked up an empty ginto, examining it for apparent flaws or scratches. Satisfied, he turned to Momo and Rukia. "So when you said 'temporal stasis', did you have a specific spell in mind?"

Momo said, "I was thinking Bakudou no. 9, _Geki_, since it seems to have a temporal stasis effect."

Ichigo nodded. He said, "Rukia, do you think you could perform Hadou no. 31, Shakkahou? While she has the spell forming in her hand, Hinamori-fukutaicho, I want you to cast_ geki _on it. Rukia, don't use the incantation. Hinamori-fukutaicho, please use the incantation and make the spell as powerful as possible."

The two nodded. Ichigo and Urahara watched intently as a red orb of energy began to grow in Rukia's outstretched palm. Just before it reached full size, Momo began her incantation. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! Bakudou no. 9, Geki!" A layer of red appeared over the already-red orb of energy.

"Great!" Ichigo called. "Now, compress it!"

Rukia grunted with the strain of using so much reiatsu. "Don't tell me what to do, Strawberry!" Pouring her reiatsu into the glowing ball, it slowly shrank into the size of a marble. Panting from exertion, she transferred the marble-sized kidou spell into the ginto waiting between Ichigo's fingers. The waiting genius quickly sealed the cap of the ginto with a small burst of his own reiatsu.

Urahara wiggled his fingers together in anticipation. "Well, Ichigo-kun? Let's give it a try!"

A tick appeared on Ichigo's temple, and he kicked Urahara in the face. "Shut up, geta-boushi! I know what to do!" Almost as an afterthought, he added, "And I outrank you now, so it's Kurosaki-taicho to you!"

Urahara cowered in the corner. "Ahh, pulling rank on me, Kurosaki-taicho. So mean…"

Ichigo ignored the man and turned back to the table. Lifting the large revolver, he hefted it in his right hand. "Target number 24, thirty-five meters." Thirty-five meters away, a wooden target shaped like a target popped from the ground.

Flipping the cylinder of the revolver open, he slid the ginto into one of the empty chambers with a metallic _click_. He snapped the cylinder closed. Placing his left hand over his right on the grip of the pistol, he closed one eye and peered with the other down the sights of the large revolver. Adjusting his position to his own custom version of the Weaver stance, he took careful aim.

Slowly and smoothly, he pulled back the trigger, at the same time sending a short pulse into the chamber, releasing the _geki_ spell. The red ball shot out of the barrel, growing in size as it flew through the air. It smashed into the hollow dummy with an explosion, sending splinters flying everywhere. Rukia and Momo yelped and ducked, while Ichigo and Urahara just hardened their reiatsu, forming shields around their bodies.

With the dust and debris settled, the four shinigami whistled at the destruction the spell had caused. Ichigo mused absently as he checked the damage, "Hmm. Looks like the reiatsu pulse that I used to dispel the _geki_ increased the power of the _shakkahou_ quite a bit. That could prove very handy. What's inconvenient is that we have to individually load every cartridge with a kidou spell. That's gonna be so time consuming…"

Rukia groaned at the thought of charging up so many _shakkahou_ spells and concentrating them to put into the small cartridges. Ichigo chuckled. "Don't worry, Rukia. Geta-boushi-_fukutaicho_ here," he said, emphasizing the 'fukutaicho,' "can charge the _shakkahou_, and I can cast the _geki_. You two have been a huge help, and your jobs here are done. Thanks a ton."

Rukia and Momo nodded. Before leaving, however, Rukia turned back. "Ichigo, are you planning to make these kidou guns standard issue?"

Ichigo laughed. "Hell no," he said. "Making this one here took seven hours alone. No, this particular one here is going to be a gift. I might make two or three more, but they aren't going to be standard issue."

Momo couldn't help her curiosity. "Who's the gift for?"

Ichigo smirked. "Not telling." She had basically asked for it, after all.

#

Vice captain Abarai Renji looked up from his paperwork as somebody knocked on the door to his office in the Sixth division barracks. "Come in!" he called, returning his attention to the damage report he had received when one of the newest recruits accidentally destroyed a building while training with his shikai.

The door slid open, and Renji looked up in surprise as he heard several pairs of feet enter his office. His eyes narrowed when he recognized the bright orange hair of the Gotei 13's youngest captain. The fact that Rukia and Hinamori Momo, his childhood friend and fellow vice captain respectively didn't help diminish the intense feeling of dislike he had for Kurosaki Ichigo.

"What is it, _Kurosaki-taicho_?" he asked through gritted teeth. "I'm very busy right now."

Ichigo bowed. Rukia and Momo were utterly shocked.

"Ichigo, what are you doing?"

"Kurosaki-taicho?"

Renji was also stunned, but unlike the other two he was unable to form a coherent word. Here was a young man of enormous power, enough to have become a captain of the Gotei 13, bowing to him, a mere vice captain. _What has this world come to?_

Still bowed, Ichigo said, "I would like to offer my sincere apologies for the way I've previously acted towards you, Abarai-fukutaicho. My insults and words towards you in the world of the living, as well as our second encounter a few weeks ago were unnecessary and childish. As such, I come bearing a gift. Consider this a… peace-making gift. Something to ease the tension between us. What do you say?"

He withdrew a cloth-wrapped bundle from his captain's haori, laying it gently on Renji's desk. Renji was curious despite himself. He slowly unwrapped the cloth, unfolding it gently onto his desk. His breath caught in his throat as he beheld the magnificent silver revolver.

"I noticed that in your fights that your kidou skills were… sub-par, to say the least. No offense intended, of course," Ichigo said. Somehow, Renji got the feeling that offense was exactly what Ichigo intended. "So I created this. This is a gun, based on a human revolver, which shoots kidou." He flipped open the cylinder, showing six empty chambers. Also from his haori he produced a box. Opening the lid, Ichigo revealed several dozen ginto-like cartridges, each marked with the kanji for _shakkahou_. "At the moment, the only kidou spells we've managed to load into a cartridge is _shakkahou_, but I believe that in the near future we will be able to branch into different, more powerful spells."

Ichigo demonstrated loading the revolver, slipping six cartridges into the cylinder. Spinning the cylinder, he slapped it back into the revolver with a metallic _click_. "With this weapon at your side, your fighting will become much more versatile."

Renji stared at the beautiful gun in awe. He had seen such things in use in the world of the living before, but had never touched one himself. He placed the tip of his index finger on the cold silver gunmetal, stroking the barrel softly, reverently. Standing, he bowed even deeper than Ichigo had moments ago. "You have my sincere gratitude for this, Kurosaki-taicho," he whispered in awe. "I can't begin to thank you for this gift."

Ichigo laughed mentally. _Swaying him is so easy,_ he thought. Smiling, he asked, "Would you like to try it out?"

Renji nodded vigorously. Ichigo smirked at his enthusiasm, and Rukia and Momo merely sighed. "Come on then, Abarai-fukutaicho; let's go to the range in the Twelfth division."

"Where do you think you're taking my vice captain?" interrupted the smooth voice of Renji's captain. Renji paled, but Ichigo merely smirked.

"I'm taking him to test out my new invention, Kuchiki-taicho," he said cheerily. "You're welcome to tag along if you wish."

Byakuya arced a thin eyebrow as he gazed at the revolver Renji held in his hand. He held out his own, and Renji gave it to him without complaint. With practiced ease, Byakuya flipped open the cylinder, gazing at the cartridges inside with a practiced eye. Lifting one out and holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he examined the kanji engraved on it. "You've created a gun that fires kidou?" he inquired, intrigued at this new development.

Ichigo replied, "That's correct. I modeled it off of the human Colt Anaconda."

"Indeed, so I see. The Anaconda is a formidable gun," Byakuya said, to their surprise.

"You've used human weaponry before, nii-sama?" Rukia asked, somewhat incredulous. Her brother deigned to drabble in human affairs? Impossible!

Byakuya said with a slight, almost imperceptible smile, "Is it that hard to believe, Rukia? I was curious as to how far the human world has progressed technology-wise. I took a week off to train in human weapons, and the Anaconda is one of the guns that I had the pleasure of trying out. If you don't mind, Kurosaki-taicho, may I try this one out myself?"

"Certainly, Kuchiki-taicho," Ichigo said graciously. "It would be my pleasure. I am glad that this newest invention of mine can be tested by someone already familiar with the mechanisms and the basis behind it."

#

Ichigo, Rukia, Momo, Renji, Byakuya, and Toushiro, whom they had picked up along the way, stood in the newly-built kidou range of the Twelfth division. Toushiro raised an eyebrow when he saw the transformed division. "You've certainly been busy in the past week, haven't you, Ichigo?"

Ichigo grinned. "Of course I was, Toushiro. After seeing what it was like under Kurotsuchi, how couldn't I?"

Rukia was incredulous. Her orange-haired genius was on first-name terms with the white-haired prodigy? When she had given him a questioning look, Ichigo had merely whispered, "Toushiro and I are friends." He had left it at that, and Rukia didn't probe any further.

"Well, since it's a gift to Renji, I think he should be the first to try it out," Ichigo said. "Inside each cartridge is a compressed _shakkahou. _In order to keep it from exploding, we wrapped the spell with _geki_ to induce a minor temporal stasis effect. When you pull the trigger, you need to release a small pulse of your reiatsu into the gun. That will release the _geki_ and allow the _shakkahou_ to enlarge and perform as usual."

Renji nodded. Holding the gun in one hand, he stared down the sight at the hollow dummy set up thirty-five meters away. "Oh, and one more thing," Ichigo said. "Don't fire it one-handed." But it was too late. Renji pulled the trigger, pulsing his reiatsu slightly. The orb of red energy shot from the barrel as intended, but the recoil from the releasing kidou spell jerked the revolver upward and backward. The gun smacked Renji straight between the eyes, prompting a loud curse from the red-haired vice captain. The _shakkahou_, thrown off course by the recoil, only singed the corner of the hollow target dummy.

Ichigo chuckled in amusement as Rukia and Momo tried to suppress their laughter. Byakuya remained impassive, while Toushiro gave a small smirk. "Sorry about that, Renji," Ichigo said, still chuckling. "I should have warned you about the recoil sooner."

Renji glared but said nothing. Wordlessly, he handed the offending revolver to Byakuya, who blew the dust from the revolver. Pulling back the hammer, which rotated the cylinder, lining up a fresh cartridge with the barrel, he grasped the large-framed revolver with a practiced grip, standing in a standard Weaver stance. He pulled the trigger smoothly and slowly, pulsing his reiatsu at the same time. Anticipating the recoil, Byakuya was unaffected by the kick of the gun.

The _shakkahou_ burst from the barrel with a _bang_, shooting in a straight line down the range. The hollow target was blown apart instantly as the ball of energy smashed straight through the center of the hollow's chest.

"Wow, nii-sama," Rukia whispered in awe of her brother's perfect aim. Byakuya smirked, blowing the smoke rising from the barrel away. Ichigo couldn't resist a chuckle at the figure Byakuya cut, the Japanese noble acting like a gunman from the American Wild West.

After another two shots from Byakuya, two from Toushiro, and the last one from Renji, the group prepared to leave the Twelfth division, as it was getting late. As Renji wrapped the revolver reverently in the soft cloth that it had been delivered in, Ichigo felt a sharp pain shoot through his head.

"Ouch," he muttered. Suddenly, his limbs felt like lead. Ichigo collapsed as the pain intensified. Clutching his head, Ichigo writhed on the ground.

"Ichigo!"

"Kurosaki-taicho!"

"Ichigo!"

"Kurosaki!"

The concerned voices of his companions were lost in as Ichigo cried out as the pain increased even more, now feeling like multiple spikes were being driven straight into his brain. Sweat poured down his face as he gritted his teeth. Finally, the pain became unbearable. Ichigo gave a gut-wrenching scream and blacked out.

He woke up in a familiar side-ways skyscraper-filled world. _My inner world? _he wondered. Ichigo noticed with relief that the pain in his head was now gone. "Zangetsu-ossan!" he called, searching for his zanpakutou spirit. Strangely, the black-clad man was nowhere to be found.

Ichigo leapt from the side of the skyscraper he was kneeling on, intent on finding what exactly had pulled him into his inner world. If it hadn't been Zangetsu, there had to be some other force that had done this.

He spotted a figure far ahead. Increasing his speed, Ichigo flash-stepped behind the figure, who had its back turned to him. Striding forward, he put a hand on the figure's shoulder. "Who are you, and what did you want with me?" he asked, anger coloring his voice slightly.

The mysterious figure, completely dressed in white and wearing a black haori, turned slowly to face him. Ichigo staggered backward in shock as he gazed into his own face, which was completely white, with black eyes and golden sclera. Additionally, his mirror image was wearing an insane, twisted grin on its face, which made his face look twisted and wrong.

"**Who am I?" **his mirror image mused, his insane grin widening. **"That's a very good question. Who am I? What am I?" **The strangely-colored eyes narrowed as the mirror image stared at Ichigo. **"I am pain. I am sorrow. I am regret. I am despair. I am guilt."** With each word, the mirror image took a step closer to Ichigo, who instinctively backed away. At the last word, though, Ichigo stopped moving backward, stunned. The mirror image strode up to Ichigo. **"My name is… Kurosaki Ichigo. I am **_**you**_**."**

"Impossible…" Ichigo whispered.

The mirror image cocked an eyebrow. **"Impossible?" **it asked with a cackle. **"You should know by now that **_**nothing**_** is impossible, Ichigo! After all, you were a human who gained shinigami powers, mastered bankai in three days, invaded Soul Society, fought a traitor, and became the youngest captain in the Gotei 13 in history! And you're claiming that my **_**existence**_** is impossible?"** It laughed again. **"You really want to know what I am?"**

Ichigo was unable to move a muscle. The mirror image sighed contemptuously. **"You are so weak, you can't even respond. Fine, I'll tell you who I am, or rather **_**what**_** I am."** The grin widened. **"I am the physical manifestation of your negative emotions, Ichigo. I am your counterpart. Your opposite. My existence opposes everything you stand for. Your pride? I represent your humiliation**.** Your urge to protect? I am your failures. Your existence as a shinigami? I am the hollow within. I am pain, the pain that you felt when your powers were removed that rainy night in the world of the living. I am sorrow, the sorrow you felt when you had to tell your family that you couldn't live with them anymore. I am regret, the regret you felt when you refused to tell your spiritually-unaware friends about your situation. I am the despair you felt as you lay in the rain, when Rukia was taken from you. And I was the guilt, that delicious, heart-wrenching guilt when you realized that it was **_**your fault**_** that your mother died!"**

Ichigo collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face as the hollow cackled madly, its insane laughter echoing through the sky-scraper filled inner world. A drop of rain fell from the now-dark sky, splashing on Ichigo's cheek. Slowly, rain began to fall. Gaining in intensity, the rain soon turned into a downpour which, despite the loud drumming it made against the side of the skyscrapers, still failed to mask the hollow's laughter.

#

Enter the inner hollow! Now, to clarify some things. In the Shattered Shaft in this story, Ichigo beat the hollowfication. Therefore, he never _developed_ an inner hollow. This inner hollow is a direct result of the stuff Aizen injected him with.

Well, how do you like it? An intense chapter, isn't it? This chapter marks the beginning of the next major arc of this story, which is centered around Ichigo and his struggle against his inner hollow. Think about this arc like the Vaizard arc in canon, but much earlier.

Additionally, I've been entertaining the idea of writing a crossover spin-off of this story. The Bleach universe and timeframe will be the same, but the main Bleach character will be Hitsugaya Toushiro. The cross-over is going to be Bleach/Another. If you haven't read Another before, I highly suggest you do. Or at least watch the anime. It's technically a horror manga, but personally I don't think it's all that scary. There will be no Bleach/Another pairings, but there may be Misaki/Sakakibara involved. If you don't know who they are, go read the manga or watch the anime! I promise you, it will be worth it. Anyways, the first chapter of that crossover should be released around the same time as the next chapter of this story. This means I will be updating for two stories simultaneously. So when you get an alert for a new update for this story, please go to my profile and check out the crossover story. Since Another doesn't really have much of a fanbase here on this site, I'm hoping to make it bigger. So please, any support I can get for the Bleach/Another crossover would be greatly appreciated. If I can get half as much interest in it as this story, I would be satisfied, although please don't limit yourself to that!

So anyways, thanks for reading this latest chapter of _When Genius Meets Death_! Please take some time to leave a review telling me what you thought about these new developments. If you have questions, please feel free to PM me, and I'll try to answer them to the best of my capability. Again, thanks for reading and I'll catch you all next time!

~fokker333


	20. Chapter 18 TeaserAuthor's Note

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Additionally, some content in this chapter may not be suitable for young readers. Read at your own discretion.

"So… you're a manifestation of all of my negative feelings." Ichigo's voice was dull and emotionless.

"**Hahahaha! That's right!" **hollow Ichigo cackled sadistically. **"Were you afraid? Angry? Guilty? All these feelings just feed my existence, allowing me to gain strength. And finally, once I get strong enough, I can take over this body!"** The hollow licked his lips. **"Imagine how much fun I could have with the Queen if I were to ever take control… Ah, I can't wait! It's just a matter of time before you become weak and I become strong!"**

Ichigo stood, wiping away the few tears that had trickled from his eyes when he was reminded of his mother's death. The thought of what this hollow could do with Rukia, the 'Queen' no doubt, chilled his blood. "Like hell am I gonna let you do that, hollow. You're gonna stay right here, in my inner world, where you can't harm anyone. I'll make sure of that."

"**Ha! You think you can do that? You think you're strong enough to beat me, the way you are now? Look around you!" **The hollow spread its arms wide, gesturing to the skyscraper-filled world, which was now pouring rain. **"Don't you see how rainy it is? Don't you get what that means?"** It saw Ichigo's puzzled expression and cackled again. **"Really? You're trying to tell me that you've mastered bankai and yet still don't know what it means if your inner world is raining like this? You're more stupid than I thought!"** Suddenly, a white katana, the inverse of Ichigo's sealed zanpakutou, appeared in the hollow's right hand. **"Killing you and taking control of your body is going to be easier than I thought!" **

The hollow sprang at Ichigo, slashing at his head with the blade. Instinctively, Ichigo's hand went to his back. In a flash, he had his own sealed zanpakutou in his hand, blocking the attack. Sparks flew in the rain as the two, Ichigo and his inner hollow, clashed over and over. Gradually, Ichigo felt himself weaken, while if anything the hollow got even stronger. Panting, with sweat dripping down his cheek and mingling with the rain, Ichigo blocked a flurry of wild slashes from the hollow. While it didn't have the grace and peerless swordsmanship of Byakuya, or the raw killing intent and reiatsu of Kenpachi, somehow the hollow was still beating him.

_That's right_, Ichigo remembered. _My body's capabilities are majorly affected by the condition of my inner world. Since it's all rainy and depressing, that must mean that my very soul is weak. I can't beat him like this!_ Ichigo gritted his teeth, pushing back the hollow's inverted blade. Pulsing his reiatsu into his zanpakutou, he wordlessly released his shikai. Opposite him, the hollow did the same.

"**Looks like you're ready to fight seriously now, King,"** the hollow mocked.

#

Hey guys, this is just a quick teaser of what I'm writing so far. I'm posting this mostly for the sake of this author's note, but I had to include that little bit to make sure I'm complying with the rules and regulations.

The first chapter of my Bleach/Another story has been released. Titled _The Color of Death_, you can find it either by going to my profile or just browsing through the Bleach/Another crossovers. It's the only one there so far, so if you would please, go check it out and tell me what you think! The next full chapter of _When Genius Meets Death_ should be released at the end of this week, possibly Friday. So I'll see you all then!

~fokker333


	21. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Additionally, some content in this chapter may not be suitable for young readers. Read at your own discretion.

"So… you're a manifestation of all of my negative feelings." Ichigo's voice was dull and emotionless.

"**Hahahaha! That's right!" **hollow Ichigo cackled sadistically. **"Were you afraid? Angry? Guilty? All these feelings just feed my existence, allowing me to gain strength. And finally, once I get strong enough, I can take over this body!"** The hollow licked his lips. **"Imagine how much fun I could have with the Queen if I were to ever take control… Ah, I can't wait! It's just a matter of time before you become weak and I become strong!"**

Ichigo stood, wiping away the few tears that had trickled from his eyes when he was reminded of his mother's death. The thought of what this hollow could do with Rukia, the 'Queen' no doubt, chilled his blood. "Like hell am I gonna let you do that, hollow. You're gonna stay right here, in my inner world, where you can't harm anyone. I'll make sure of that."

"**Ha! You think you can do that? You think you're strong enough to beat me, the way you are now? Look around you!" **The hollow spread its arms wide, gesturing to the skyscraper-filled world, which was now pouring rain. **"Don't you see how rainy it is? Don't you get what that means?"** It saw Ichigo's puzzled expression and cackled again. **"Really? You're trying to tell me that you've mastered bankai and yet still don't know what it means if your inner world is raining like this? You're more stupid than I thought!"** Suddenly, a white katana, the inverse of Ichigo's sealed zanpakutou, appeared in the hollow's right hand. **"Killing you and taking control of your body is going to be easier than I thought!" **

The hollow sprang at Ichigo, slashing at his head with the blade. Instinctively, Ichigo's hand went to his back. In a flash, he had his own sealed zanpakutou in his hand, blocking the attack. Sparks flew in the rain as the two, Ichigo and his inner hollow, clashed over and over. Gradually, Ichigo felt himself weaken, while if anything the hollow got even stronger. Panting, with sweat dripping down his cheek and mingling with the rain, Ichigo blocked a flurry of wild slashes from the hollow. While it didn't have the grace and peerless swordsmanship of Byakuya, or the raw killing intent and reiatsu of Kenpachi, somehow the hollow was still beating him.

_That's right_, Ichigo remembered. _My body's capabilities are majorly affected by the condition of my inner world. Since it's all rainy and depressing, that must mean that my very soul is weak. I can't beat him like this!_ Ichigo gritted his teeth, pushing back the hollow's inverted blade. Pulsing his reiatsu into his zanpakutou, he wordlessly released his shikai. Opposite him, the hollow did the same.

"**Looks like you're ready to fight seriously now, King,"** the hollow mocked.

Ichigo glared at the hollow furiously. "You're damn right I am, you fucking hollow," he said, anger and rage causing his blood to roar in his ears.

"**You're a fool, King! All your anger only fuels my strength. You're just handicapping yourself now! But if that's how you wanna fight, I'm not complaining! I'll take over this body and put you in your place!" **The hollow charged forward, slashing fiercely at Ichigo. Goading him, the hollow cackled, **"How do you hope to protect all your loved ones if you don't have control over your own body, huh?"**

Ichigo stiffened. **"Ooh, struck a nerve there, did I, King?" **the hollow laughed, still striking at Ichigo from all angles. Sparks flew in the rain as Ichigo swung his shikai cleaver, deflecting and blocking the strikes.

"Are you threatening my comrades, hollow?" Ichigo questioned, regaining his calm. He realized that, as the hollow had said, his anger was only strengthening his enemy and clouding his judgment. Without waiting for the hollow to respond, Ichigo counterattacked, slashing swiftly at its head with a horizontal slash, strengthened by his reiatsu. "I don't care if you threaten my well-being, but when you threaten the safety of those close to me…" he began a furious assault, slashing and cutting expertly, exploiting the hollow's every weakness and opening, "you've crossed the line."

The hollow's black and gold eyes widened in surprise as it desperately attempted to fend off Ichigo's relentless onslaught. Leaping back from a slash that would have cut him in half at the waist, it swore as Ichigo gripped his shikai with both hands, holding in high above his head. "BANKAI!" The water pooling at their feet exploded into the air, vaporizing at the massive column of blue reiatsu pouring off Ichigo's body, which was now clad in the black shirt, overcoat, slacks, and combat boots of his bankai outfit. The blade he held over his head in a kendo stance was now black as night and glittered in the rain with a deadly elegance. "Tensa Kage Zangetsu." Black reiatsu pulsed angrily around the blade, and the hollow cursed, scrambling to release its own bankai. But it was too late. "Getsuga Tenshou!" The massive boomerang of energy from Ichigo's swing smashed into the hollow and through several buildings, leaving destruction and devastation in its wake.

Ichigo looked into the rubble of the skyscraper impassively. "Are you done yet?"

Coughing, the hollow pushed its way out from underneath a slab of concrete. A massive jagged wound from the Getsuga Tenshou ran from shoulder to hip, bleeding profusely. It collapsed on top of the rubble and glared up at Ichigo. **"Che. For now, King. For now. But trust me, every time you're feeling sad, or guilty, or angry, any time you have any negative emotions, I'll be ready to take this body. This isn't over, King. Not by a long shot."** The hollow slowly faded from view until all that was left was a pile of rubble.

Ichigo sighed in relief and looked up at the sky. The rain was beginning to let up. "The physical manifestation of my negative emotions, huh?" he said to himself. "Fuck… this is gonna be inconvenient… I wonder how long I've been in here… I guess they're all gonna be worried. I probably just collapsed randomly. I should get back soon."

#

Rukia saw a slight movement out of the corner of her eye. She whipped around to look at Ichigo's prone figure lying on the bed. "Ichigo…" she breathed in relief as she saw his eyelids flutter slightly.

"Urgh… Rukia?" Ichigo said, blinking in confusion as he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. "Oh… I'm in the Fourth division…"

"Do you remember what happened?" Rukia asked in concern. "You blacked out suddenly. We were all so worried!"

Ichigo rubbed his head sheepishly. "Ehehe, sorry about that. My zanpakutou had a new technique he wanted to show me…" This was the lie that he had decided that he would tell everyone. It wouldn't do at this point, when they were at war against Aizen and the hollows, for the Gotei 13 to discover that one of their own captains had a hollow inside their soul. "How long was I out?"

Rukia smacked him in the back of the head, causing him to shout indignantly, "OI! There's a reason I'm lying here in bed in the Fourth division, you know that!"

He was cut off by Rukia wrapping him in a warm hug. Ichigo was startled when he saw that there were tears in her eyes. "You were unconscious for two weeks, Ichigo. I'm so glad you're awake. You had everyone so worried! Even nii-sama visited you."

"Two weeks, huh? Shit. Rukia… I don't know how to apologize for this."

"It's okay, Ichigo. As long as you're here, you don't need to apologize."

Ichigo grinned up at her. Reaching up, he captured her lips in his. He whispered, "I'm glad you see it that way." The two lost themselves with each other, and all was right in the world.

#

"Eh? Toushiro's in the world of the living on a mission? What sort of mission could merit a captain's presence?" Ichigo wondered, pacing in the foundry in the Twelfth division. Urahara looked at his captain.

"I heard that there were a large number of strange deaths. I heard from the shinigami stationed there that even though so many people were dying, there were no souls. I think Yamamoto-soutaicho suspects that a hollow may be behind all these people dying. The hollow might be consuming their souls, which would explain why no souls were found."

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. He stopped pacing, his back turned to Urahara. "Hey, geta-boushi. Where are the Visoreds hiding in the living world?" He heard a slight gasp from Urahara, and continued. "What I'm about to tell you must never leave this room until the time comes. I hope you understand the need for secrecy regarding this matter, Urahara-fukutaicho."

Urahara knew that Ichigo was serious if he was addressing him by his formal title. "I'm listening, Kurosaki-taicho."

"In my fight against Aizen on the Soukyoku Hill, he injected me with something after hitting me with a high-level kidou. He said, and I quote his exact wording, 'I've been wanting to try out this particular formula for a while. You'll make the perfect test subject.' Afterwards, I blacked out from my injuries. Initially, Unohana-taicho was unable to find anything wrong with me. Even a few weeks after I was injected, nothing happened. However, the day I collapsed while testing out the kidou gun, I was dragged into my inner world. There, I fought and defeated an… entity, for the lack of a better term, that claimed it was a 'physical manifestation' of my negative emotions. It also claimed that it was my inner hollow. I don't know enough about the Visoreds and the technicalities behind their situations with their own inner hollows to understand if mine is any different."

Urahara took off his bucket hat and scratched his blond hair absentmindedly. "That's a very interesting story you've got there, Kurosaki-taicho. I've interacted with the Visoreds quite a bit, and I've never heard them talk about their inner hollow as a manifestation of anything. My guess is that Aizen's refined his hollowfication formula slightly. From what I've heard from the Visoreds, their inner hollow were simply forced into their souls. The Visoreds essentially have a hollow soul residing within their shinigami soul. However, from what you've said, whatever Aizen injected you with has awoken the part of your soul that has hollowish tendencies."

Ichigo stopped his pacing. "So what you're trying to say is that since hollows are basically the antitheses of shinigami, each and every shinigami has a part of their souls that has 'hollowish tendencies,' as you said. It would make sense, then. Those souls that have high reiatsu often hollowfy if they remain in the world of the living too long and their chains erode. In a situation like that, it's their hollow part of their soul that awakens, rather than the shinigami part?" Ichigo paused, lost in thought. "Or perhaps a soul tends towards the hollow half, which is why souls hollowfy rather than become shinigami in the world of the living." He snapped his fingers, turning to Urahara. "Geta-boushi, the hollows have a realm to themselves, don't they?"

Urahara nodded slowly, understanding where Ichigo was heading in his deduction. "Yes. Hueco Mundo, the realm of the hollows. That is where hollows go when they form from souls in the world of the living."

"In that case, my guess is that there is something with the conditions that the Soul Society exists in which prevents a soul from hollowfying. There have been no records of souls becoming hollows without outside influence within the Soul Society itself, so that must be it. The reiatsu of the Soul Society suppresses the part of the soul that tends towards hollowfication, allowing the soul to retain its original form. Then, when those souls with high reiatsu enter Seireitei and the academy, their shinigami sides awaken and are trained. Then the formula Aizen injected me with awakened the hollow half of my soul, which is now clashing against the shinigami half, since they are opposites by nature." Ichigo frowned. "Then this has something to do with the Hougyoku, which he claimed can blur the line between hollow and shinigami. The Hougyoku that was hidden inside Rukia's soul was your Hougyoku, wasn't it, Urahara?"

Urahara nodded. "That is correct. So the logical conclusion is that, if Aizen managed to inject you with such a formula, that he had a Hougyoku of his own, probably based off research he stole from me."

Ichigo cursed. "What would happen if he were to combine the Hougyoku? According to the records you left behind, your own Hougyoku seemed incomplete. If Aizen were to combine the two Hougyoku…" Ichigo paled. "He could create full arrancar, by taking a hollow and awakening its shinigami side. If the hollow side and shinigami side were able to cooperate, Aizen would create the ultimate hybrid. This is _really_ not good."

Urahara mused, "So Aizen used you as his first experiment using that formula on a shinigami. I have no doubt that he's already tried it on hollow, creating pseudo-arrancar at the least. If the dominant half of the soul is the shinigami half, I wonder how it would differ than if the hollow half were dominant."

"I guess I had better train to subdue the hollow side then, right? No… not subdue. After all, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If I simply fight and subdue the hollow, as the Visoreds did, I would be simply a shinigami with a hollow in my soul. But if I merge the two parts of my soul, shinigami and hollow…" Ichigo spun on his heel, heading out of the foundry and into the lab. "I have to run some tests. The possibilities of the amount of power one could gain if they fully merged the shinigami and hollow halves of their soul is endless. We have to get a head start on this research before Aizen can! If he can create full arrancar and have them merge with the shinigami side, this war will be lost before it can even begin!"

He walked out of the foundry. Holding the door open behind him, he called back to Urahara, "Aren't you coming, geta-boushi? After all, this is the perfect chance to research hat you weren't able to a hundred years ago." Urahara grinned. He was going to enjoy this.

"Oh, and Akon-san!" Ichigo called. The third seat appeared behind the captain and vice-captain, head bowed in respect.

"Yes, Kurosaki-taicho?"

"If you go into the foundry, I've left some plans for a few more kidou guns. I would like them completed to the exact specifications that I've mentioned in the blueprints, as soon as possible. There are a few more people that I have to express my gratitude towards."

Akon bowed. "Yes, Kurosaki-taicho!" He turned to summon a few other members of the Research and Development Institute to help him in the task.

"And, Akon-san?"

"Yes, Kurosaki-taicho?"

"Call me Ichigo."

#

Ichigo rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily as he looked down at the test results he had gathered. "What've you got, Urahara?" he asked his vice-captain, who was busy jotting down notes and looking at the small screen on the side of a strange-looking machine. "Well, the reiatsu resonance reading is quite… interesting. After five tests, the average resonance is 2.3746 spirit meters. Compared to the resonance of a normal shinigami, that's almost a whole spirit meter lower. In fact, right now it's somewhere between the resonance of a shinigami and a hollow, though it's still leaning quite heavily towards shinigami reiatsu."

Ichigo nodded. "So my theory was correct. The soul is in fact split into two parts, shinigami and hollow."

"The test results confirm it," Urahara said.

"Then this means that I have to hurry and merge with my hollow before Aizen is able to create full arrancar."

"That would probably be the wisest course of action, Ichigo."

"We can't tell anyone else about these results, Urahara. We can let the captains know about Aizen's plan to create arrancar, but we can't tell them about my inner hollow. Not until we can gather enough evidence to bring the Visoreds out of exile. At this point, they'll never accept the fact that a shinigami and a hollow could work in conjunction. Countless centuries of seeing hollows as enemies will cause them to be blinded to the truth. We need proceed slowly from here." Ichigo took the test results and burned them to ashes with a quick kidou spell. "I'll leave you to clean up here, Urahara. I have to give some more gifts to certain people.

Urahara nodded. "Of course, Kurosaki-taicho. You can count on me." Ichigo left with a flash-step, leaving Urahara looking at the screen readout pensively.

#

"Kurosaki-taicho to see you, Kuchiki-sama!" The servant bowed to Kuchiki Byakuya, who sat in his manor sipping a cup of tea.

"Thank you. Let him in and leave us," the noble said quietly. The servant bowed again and gestured into the room. The familiar orange-haired captain entered, and he quickly backed out, sliding the door shut behind him.

"Good afternoon, Kuchiki-taicho," Ichigo greeted as he sat down opposite the noble.

Byakuya returned the greeting. "Kurosaki-taicho. To what do I the pleasure of this visit?

Ichigo withdrew a cloth-wrapped package from his haori. "After seeing you test out the kidou gun I made for your vice-captain, I decided to create several more for certain individuals. You are one of them." He unwrapped the cloth, revealing a sleek black handgun, not a revolver like Renji's, but rather a semi-automatic. "This is based from the human SIG Sauer P226. The cartridges currently fire only _shakkahou_, but you can load them yourself with whatever kidou spell you wish. All you have to do is charge the spell, concentrate it, and put it into stasis with _geki_. You seal the cartridge with a small burst of reiatsu. I assume you know how to load a pistol magazine?"

Byakuya nodded. He picked up the handgun, examining it with a practiced eye. He racked the slide, peering down the inside of the barrel from the chamber. Ichigo placed a box on the tea table, and Byakuya opened it. Picking up a slim black magazine loaded with _shakkahou_ rounds, he slid the magazine into the pistol's grip. With a _click_, the slide smoothly slid forward, pushing a round into the chamber. Byakuya flipped the switch on the side to _safe_ and ejected the magazine. Cocking back the slide, he caught the round as it flipped out of the chamber. Replacing the round in the magazine, he placed everything onto the table.

"You have my gratitude, Kurosaki-taicho. Your creation is truly a thing of beauty and convenience. With these, one can fire multiple kidou in a short amount of time without exhausting one's reiatsu." Byakuya nodded approvingly. "Well done." He glanced back at Ichigo, who had a slight smile on his face. "Was there anything else you wanted?"

"Actually, there was," Ichigo said. "I would like your permission to take your sister to the world of the living for a day. I have already obtained permission from Yamamoyo-soutaicho for a day off, and I just need your permission to take Rukia on a 'date,' as we call them in the world of the living."

Byakuya smirked slightly. "And this gift was incentive for me to give you that permission?"

Ichigo chuckled. "Of course not, Kuchiki-taicho. It is simply a gift from a friend to a friend. Of course, there is that added bonus."

Byakuya also chuckled slightly. "You are certainly a clever one, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Clever? I'm offended, Byakuya. You know very well that I'm a certified genius." He clutched his heart, feigning offense.

Byakuya waved his hand dismissively. "Technicalities, Kurosaki. Clever, genius, I see no difference. Very well. You have my permission to take Rukia to the world of the living for a day."

Standing, Ichigo bowed to the noble. "Thank you, Byakuya. I will see you soon then." Turning, he opened the sliding door. Halfway through the door, he turned. "Oh, and Byakuya?"

The noble looked up from his cup of tea again. "Yes?"

"Please, call me Ichigo."

#

"Ah, Ichigo-kun! Please, come in!" Ukitake waved from his desk as Ichigo entered slowly, shutting the door quietly behind him. "How can I help you today?"

"Good morning, Ukitake-taicho," Ichigo said politely.

"Please, call me Juushiro!" the white-haired senior captain said cheerily. "We're friends and colleagues now, aren't we?"

Ichigo laughed. "That's exactly what I've been trying to tell everyone. Unfortunately, many still insist on being stuffy and formal. At least I've gotten Byakuya to call me Ichigo."

Ukitake's eyes widened. That the stiff and formal noble had called Ichigo in a familiar manner was a shock. Ichigo was certainly changing the way things worked in the Soul Society. "Was there something you needed?" he asked.

Ichigo nodded. "That's right, I almost forgot." He laughed sheepishly. "Do you know where I could find Rukia? I'm taking her on a date today in the world of the living. I've already gotten approval from the captain-commander for a day off."

Ukitake smiled knowingly. "Ah, yes. You and Kuchiki, eh?" He laughed. "Oh, to be young again. You'll probably find her outside at the training grounds. She's been training so hard ever since she recovered fully. She's gotten quite strong. At this rate, she'll reach vice-captain level soon."

Ichigo smiled back just as knowingly. "I'm quite aware," he said with a light in his eyes. "Thank you, Juushiro-san." He stood and flash-stepped away, leaving Ukitake grinning as he returned to his paperwork.

"Ah, love," he murmured, dipping his brush into his ink and signing his signature. "It's nice to see that despite the war we're about to be engaged in, the young ones can still find the time for it." His smile faded as he heard the familiar bickering of his two third seats outside. Ukitake sighed resignedly and continued to do his paperwork.

#

Rukia swung her zanpakutou in a short but strong arc, slashing straight through the waist of the wooden practice dummy. Pure swordsmanship, or _zanjutsu_, had always been her weakest point. Her kidou was strong, and she was hailed as an expert by many in the Thirteenth division, but her physical strength and technique with her zanpakutou was sadly lacking. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" The katana in her hand glowed and changed, becoming pure white. A long white ribbon grew from the hilt, and the blade gleamed in the light. Known as the most beautiful zanpakutou in the Soul Society, Sode no Shirayuki was regarded with awe and respect by many shinigami.

Slashing through the air with the pure-white blade, Rukia called, "First dance, _Tsukishiro!_" A white circle appeared beneath another pair of dummies. In a flash, a massive column of ice rose into the air, freezing both dummies solid. With another slash, the column shattered into pieces, along with the dummies frozen inside.

Rukia spun on her heel. Stabbing her blade into the ground, she stood in a fighting stance. "Second dance, _Hakuren!_" A wave of spiritual particles rose from the ground, concentrating at the tip of her blade. With a shout, she thrust forward, and the wave of cold air rushed across the training grounds, encasing half a dozen more dummies in ice. Again, she waved her blade and the ice shattered. Looking at the decimated dummies in satisfaction, she called to another shinigami who was standing to the side with a stopwatch. "How fast?"

The shinigami glanced at the watch. "16.45 seconds to take down a dozen targets. You cut your last time by about half a second."

Rukia nodded. Turning, she began to set up more targets in a wider formation, to increase the difficulty of her training. Once finished, she took up another fighting stance. This time, she would work on her flash-step. _Hohou_ had been her second-weakest skill, and although her skill with flash-step was adequate, if she wanted to reach vice-captain level it would need to be greatly honed.

Crouching, she nodded to the shinigami with the stopwatch. At his shouted command of "Go!" she immediately leapt into action. Flashing next to the first dummy, she decapitated it. Without pause, she flashed to the next target. With two smooth swings, she looped off both arms and stabbed it through the chest. As ice spread from the hole her blade had made, she was already flashing away, cutting and slashing at the other dummies. She dropped out of flash-step at her original position, panted slightly.

"32.93 seconds!" the shinigami called, clicking his stopwatch. Rukia made a sound of dissatisfaction. She needed to break thirty seconds before she could be considered a flash-step expert.

Turning she prepared to flash-step again when she caught sight of a familiar shock of orange hair out of the corner of her eye. Turning in surprise, she called, "Ichigo! What are you doing here?"

Ichigo grinned as he walked up to the short shinigami. "Watching you train. You've gotten a lot better, you know? Even Ukitake things so."

Rukia blushed at the praise. "I need to be stronger. We're going to need every strong shinigami we've got for this war against Aizen."

Ichigo smirked down at her. "This intense doesn't have anything to do with a comment I made about becoming a vice-captain, does it?"

Rukia slapped his arm. "No! Well, maybe…" She saw Ichigo's amused look and huffed in exasperation. "Alright, it does, okay? After what you said that day, I decided that I needed to push myself harder. If I become vice-captain, I can help ease Ukitake-taicho's burden a bit. He's been getting sick a lot more often lately, and the paperwork piles up." She sealed her blade and sheathed it with a _click_. "So, what brings you here? And don't tell me it was just to watch me train."

Ichigo chuckled. "You're right, I did have another reason to come. Take a day off today, Rukia. We're going on a date to the world of the living."

Rukia's face lit up. "Really? Is it okay for you to skip work like that?" she asked, a hopeful look on her face.

"Of course it is. Urahara's still on probation, so he'll take care of the division for me. I've already gotten a day off from Yamamoto, and Ukitake gave you a day off too. Oh, and I cleared it with your brother, so don't worry about that."

Rukia laughed. "Wow, that was fast. You sure are eager to take me on a date, aren't you, Strawberry?"

"Of course," Ichigo smirked. "You know me, that's what I do. Holding out a hand, he said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" Rukia smiled. Taking a break from training couldn't hurt. She grasped the offered hand, and the couple disappeared in a flash-step.

#

Hey, guys! I'm back with another chapter of _When Genius Meets Death!_ I know that it's a day later than I had initially promised when I released the spoiler, but for some reason I found Ichigo's fight with the hollow to be incredibly hard to write. I must have started over at least three times… At any rate, I hope you enjoyed it. Please, leave a review, add it to your alerts/favorites, or PM me if you have questions! Next chapter will be dedicated to Ichigo and Rukia's date. Lots of fluff inbound!

Also, I would like to take this opportunity to ask you all again to check out my Bleach/Another crossover that I'm working on, _The Color of Death_. It's a parallel story to this one, focused on Hitsugaya Toushiro. That's why he's in the living world right now. So while the crossover plot is being written, the timeframe is the same in this story. However, for the sake of plot development, I may have a timeskip of a few months in _When Genius Meets Death_. That means that Toushiro will be back in the Soul Society, but the plot will skip a few months where nothing really significant happens in the Soul Society. Instead, all the action will be in the world of the living, which you can read about in _The Color of Death_. Shameless promoting, I know, but Another is such a good manga/anime and I'm really disappointed in its fanbase here on this site. So, go check out _The Color of Death_, drop a review for both this one and that story, and I'll see you all, my loyal readers, next chapter for Ichigo and Rukia's date. Fokker333 out!

~fokker333


	22. Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. This chapter contains language that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Read with discretion.

#

"Hey, Ichigo, are you sure it's okay for us to be wearing gigai that look exactly like us?" Rukia said worriedly, tugging at the single raven-colored bang hanging over her face. "Are you sure your division was able to modify the memories of every single person in the living world who knew or had contact with us?"

Ichigo acted offended. He placed a hand over his heart and said in a wounded tone, "Why, Rukia. How could you doubt me? After all, I am Kurosaki Ichigo, genius captain of the Twelfth division. I personally oversaw the memory modification efforts. They remember a Kurosaki Ichigo, freshman at Karakura High School, who was tragically killed in a car accident a few weeks back. However, somehow, despite all their best efforts, they can never recall his face. The only people who know the truth are my family and Chad and Ishida, since they're the representatives of the Soul Society here in Karakura Town."

Rukia looked at him with a bit of concern in her eyes. "Were you sad? That you had to cut all ties with your friends in the world of the living."

He sighed. "Ever since I started hiding the fact that I was a genius from my so-called 'friends,' my life was a lie. I never really had any friends. None of them knew about who I really was, and what I am. Now, the only connections I have with the living world are Chad, Ishida, and my family. Honestly, I don't really feel sad about it. There's a bit of regret there, yes, that I had to lie to all the people I met, but overall it was necessary."

Rukia laced her fingers through his, pressing closer to his side as they walked down the sidewalk, enjoying the cool April air. Ichigo accepted the gesture willingly. "At any rate, let's not talk about such deep, morbid topics. I brought you here to the world of the living to take you on a date, and that's exactly what we're going to do. Let's go!" he said with a smile.

Tugging along the short shinigami, Ichigo stopped in front of a cozy-looking corner café. "You haven't eaten breakfast yet, have you? You got up really early to train."

His question was answered by a growl from Rukia's stomach. To her credit, she managed to only blush lightly in embarrassment. "Yeah, that's right. I'm starving."

"Good, we can have a nice big breakfast before our big day starts. I have a lot planned, and I'm sure you're going to like it."

#

Rukia's mouth dropped open as she stared in astonishment at the amusement park that lay before her. "Wow," she breathed. "This is…"

As she continued to gape at the flashing lights, Ichigo laughed and approached the gate guard. "Two, please," he said, handing over a credit card.

The guard swiped it, and the machine churned out two wrist-bands. Handing them over to Ichigo, he said, "Here you go, sir. Have a nice day with your girlfriend."

Ichigo and Rukia both blushed a bit at this comment, but didn't deny it. The guard laughed and waved them through the gate.

Immediately, Rukia's eyes were drawn to the carousel. "Ichigo!" she said excitedly, tugging at his sleeve. "Can we ride that?"

"Sure," Ichigo agreed easily. "I'm spending my salary as a captain, which is pretty considerable, so knock yourself out. Not literally," he added hastily at the end. You never knew what Rukia was capable of.

Nearly jumping for joy, she dragged him to the man in front of the carousel. Moments later, they were seated together on one of the wooden horses. As the tinkly music played and the painted mounts bobbed up and down, Rukia wrapped her arms around Ichigo. "Hey, Ichigo," she said, a slightly confused look on her face. "This ride is kinda boring… all it does is go up and down. And yet, it's still fun. It's so strange…"

He laughed and said cockily, "It's because I'm here. I make everything fun, didn't you know that, Rukia?"

She laughed and smacked the back of his head. "Shut up, strawberry," she teased playfully. "You're ego is so big it's suffocating."

#

As the pair walked from the food stand, Ichigo munching on a hot dog and Rukia happily licking a massive cone of cotton candy, a howl echoed from above the amusement park. Ichigo cursed very colorfully, causing nearby parents to shoot him dirty looks and cover their children's ears, pulling them away from the bright-haired teen. "Dammit, never a normal day in the life of a genius shinigami captain," he muttered. Rukia giggled at his exasperation. In unison, the pair popped their gikongan into their mouths, ejecting themselves from the gigai. Looking over at the souls now inhabiting their fake bodies, custom models made by Urahara, Rukia ordered them to act normal.

Somehow, Ichigo had the feeling that since the gikongan were made by his crazy vice-captain, they would acting anything but normal. But now was not the time to worry about that. He had hollows to kill. He shot a look at the short shinigami standing at his side, one hand on the hilt of her zanpakutou, watching as three large hollows roared hungrily down at the amusement park. "Hey, Rukia," he said, nudging her slightly. "Think you can impress me? Let's see how good you've become after all that training. I'll leave these three to you."

Rukia nodded, completely focused on the enemy. Ichigo grinned at her business-like attitude. "Alright then. One, two, three, GO!" She vanished in the familiar whoosh of flash-step. Ichigo's practiced eye caught her figure, sleeves of her shihakusho flapping in the wind as she appeared next to the first hollow. Before it even had time to react, Rukia drew her blade. Ichigo smiled as he realized that she was utilizing_ iaido_, or the art of drawing a sword, slicing, and quickly resheathing it.

Her blade was a blur as she slashed horizontally at the first hollow. The razor-edged katana cut through the bone-like mask like parting water, and even as the hollow began disintegrating, her sword was already back in its sheath.

Rukia spun on her heel to face the second one, which roared in fury at the small shinigami. "Hadou no. 33, _Sokatsui_!" she called, blue fire blazing from her outstretched palm. With an explosion, the second hollow fell from the sky, singed and disintegrating. With no pause, Rukia flash-stepped to the third and final hollow. Without bothering to draw her zanpakutou or prepare a kidou spell, she launched into a flurry of _hakuda_, hand-to-hand combat. Her small fists drove in rapid succession into a single point in the mask, followed by a side kick to the same point. The mask cracked audibly, and Rukia flash-stepped backward, easily dodging the claw which whistled over her head. "Dance!" she called, whipping her sword from its sheath again. A wall of cold air froze the hollow solid, and the block of ice shattered as Rukia replaced her now-sealed blade into its sheath.

In another instant, she was standing next to Ichigo. Flicking a single bead of sweat from her cheek, she smiled beatifically up at him. "Well, that was easy."

Ichigo wrapped her in a hug. "You've gotten so much stronger, Rukia. I'm so proud of you."

Rukia blushed but returned the hug. "Thanks, Ichigo," she said, smiling. However, the moment was interrupted by the signature buzz of _sonido_. Five humanoid figures appeared in the air around them.

One of the figures, apparently the leader, stepped forward. He was tall and somewhat thin but well-built. Completely dressed in white, with a bone-like mask fragment covering his left eye and wearing a long horizontally-pointed hat, the figure introduced himself. "Greetings, shinigami. My name is Shawlong Kufang, 11th arrancar in Aizen-sama's army."

Ichigo cursed quietly. "Shit, he's already started making arrancar. Were you briefed of the situation, Rukia?"

Rukia nodded grimly. "Ukitake-taicho explained the situation to the entire division. But none of us expected to run into arrancar so quickly after Aizen's betrayal. It's only been two months!"

"Tch," Ichigo tsked. Pulling a phone from his shihakushou, he flipped it open. "Oi, geta-boushi. Emergency situation in the world of the living, sector 345, quadrant 15. Five arrancar, probably around vice-captain level judging from their reiatsu, with two possibly captain-level. Request reinforcements immediately."

Ichigo listened intently, then said, "We may need limit release permission. I will contact you for permission if we do." He hung up and gazed grimly at the arrancar surrounding them. "So much for our date, huh, Rukia," he muttered, annoyance plainly written across his face. "I'll make up for this later, but we have to take care of these guys."

Turning back towards the group of arrancar, Ichigo drew his blade from the sheath on his back. "My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, captain of the Twelfth division. Tell me your names, arrancar, so that I may know the names of those I shall slay."

All was silent for a moment, then the assembled arrancar broke into raucous laughter. "Ha, you think two shinigami can kill us five?" a heavily-built arrancar with a partly shaved head and long red hair scoffed. "Don't be so arrogant, shinigami!"

Ichigo sighed in exasperation. "Dammit, I wish people would stop underestimating me. So many people call me arrogant, but they just don't realize that I'm not just showing off." He vanished in an instant and appeared behind the large arrancar. With a shock, Rukia realized that his blade was now released in shikai. Slowly, a faint red line appeared on the cheek of the arrancar who had insulted Ichigo.

"Wha… how?" the arrancar asked in bewilderment, a single drop of blood oozing from the cut.

"Huh," Ichigo said. "That cut did even less damage that I had expected."

"You were able to cut through my _hierro_, my iron skin?" the large arrancar said, aghast. "Even captain-level fighters should be able to do that so casually!"

Ichigo smirked, pointing his cleaver-like blade at the arrancar. "Now, let me say this again. Tell me your names, arrancar!"

Wiping away the drop of blood, the large arrancar snarled, "Fine. I'm Edorad Leones, 13th arrancar in Aizen-sama's army!"

A fat arrancar with a mask covering half of his face said, "Nakeem Grindina, 14th arrancar!"

A slender man with long blonde hair and a helmet-like mask fragment introduced himself. "Yylfort Granz, 15th arrancar in his majesty Aizen-sama's army!"

The last arrancar, wearing a bulky helmet mask fragment, said, "Di Roy Rinker, 16th arrancar."

The first arrancar, the leader, said, "We are the fraccion of Grimmjow Jaegerjacques, 6th Espada of Aizen-sama's army!"

Ichigo sweat-dropped slightly. "You guys are really repetitive." He shook his head in exasperation. "Whatever. I'll just kill you all right here!" Blue energy swirled around his cleaver blade, and with a shout he slashed through the air, a bright arc of energy whizzing from his shikai. "Getsuga Tenshou!"

With a buzz, the arrancar leapt out of the way of the devastating attack. However, one, Di Roy Rinker, was too slow and was caught by the edge of the Getsuga Tenshou. He emerged from the explosion, white coat slightly singed, and coughing from the smoke. "You bastard!" His eyes widened as a snowflake floated across his field of vision.

"Second dance, Hakuren!" The wave of freezing snow blasted over the arrancar, leaving behind a solid block of ice. Rukia waved her released sword, shattering the block. "Fool," she spat at the frozen remains of the 16th arrancar.

"Ha!" scoffed the lead arrancar, Shawlong. "Di Roy was an idiot. He was always the weakest of the bunch."

Rukia saw a glow in the corner of her eye, and she whirled to see a set of senkai doors opening in the sky. "Reinforcements!"

"Reinforcements are here as you requested, Kurosaki-taicho!" called a familiar red-haired pineapple. Following closely behind Renji were Madarame Ikkaku, Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Matsumoto Rangiku."

"HAHAHA!" laughed an unfamiliar voice. The shinigami looked wildly around for the source of the laugh. With the buzz of sonido, a new arrancar appeared in front of the group of arrancar, who sank to their knees in deference.

"You must be Grimmjow Jaegerjacques, the _Sexta_ Espada," Ichigo said, frowning a bit. He was the only one here who could fight evenly against an Espada, and the rest of the shinigami were only vice-captain level. There was at least one captain-level arrancar left among the fraccion, and Ichigo was a bit worried.

The two fractions looked at each other across the sky, the bright lights of the amusement park flashing below them, painting a mismatched backdrop for the fight that was about to begin. Each shinigami picked an opponent, sizing them up. Rukia gazed impassively at the blond arrancar named Yylfort Granz. Matsumoto winked at the fat one, Nakeem Grindina. Ikkaku grinned wolfishly at the heavily-set one, Edorad Leones. Renji drew his zanpakutou and pointed it at the leader of the lesser arrancar, Shawlong Kufang. And Ichigo himself looked at Grimmjow himself, the shinigami's bright orange hair clashing horribly with the Espada's bright blue hair. At an unspoken signal, both sides charged at each other.

#

Rukia wiped blood from a long gash on her forehead out of her eyes as she stared at her opponent's greatly-bulked up form. "My _resurreccion, _Del Toro," Yylfort Granz growled, his body now covered in armor and shaped like a bull. "When we arrancar release our resurreccion forms, our wounds are healed and we get a huge boost in power. You're finished, shinigami!"

Rukia gritted her teeth. "Ichigo!" she yelled at the orange-haired genius captain, who was currently crossing blades with Grimmjow. "Request for limit release!"

Ichigo shouted back, "They're still waiting for approval!"

Rukia growled. "Dammit, stupid politics and legal bullshit! Why does it always take so long to get permission for this kind of thing?" She flashed out of the way as the giant bull charged, attempting to impale her on the horns protruding from his head. Extending both hands in front of her, she prepared a kidou spell. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens! Hadou no. 73, _Soren Soukatsui_!"

Blue fire, double the power of a normal _soukatsui_, blasted from her hands, roaring at Yylfort. His form was too bulky and heavy for the arrancar to dodge, and the kidou impacted with a massive explosion. Without even pausing, with beads of sweat mingling with the blood on her face, Rukia drew her zanpakutou again. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki! Second Dance, _Hakuren_!" The column of snow blasted through the smoke, obscuring the arrancar's bulky frame once again.

Yylfort charged out of the smoke, one side coated in ice. "Dammit, shinigami! That hurt!" A glowing ball appeared on his forehead, growing by the second.

"_Cero!" _Rukia thought, panicking slightly. The red beam blasted straight at her, and she didn't have time to duck.

"Limit release approved!" she heard Ichigo yell between clashes of steel. _"Thank Kami!"_ she thought in release. Quickly pulling aside her shihakushou, she tapped on the snowdrop-shaped tattoo on her chest.

A second before the cero impacted, she slashed her blade towards the column of red, blasting a wave of snow at it. Now with her power completely unrestricted, the _Hakuren_ easily tore through the cero, dispelling it and continuing straight at Yylfort. "Impossible!" was the arrancar's last word as he was frozen and shattered into a million pieces.

Rukia sighed in relief and she wiped blood and sweat from her face. Sealing and sheathing her zanpakutou, she looked around at the other battles. Matsumoto flash-stepped up to her, apparently also having won her battle. "What happened to Ikkaku and Yumichika?" the short shinigami asked the Tenth division vice-captain.

"They went off somewhere else to fight their opponents, although I'm pretty sure they both won," replied the busty vice-captain. "All that's left is Ichigo's fight."

#

Ichigo grimaced as he deflected another blow from Grimmjow's sealed blade with the broad flat of his shikai. He was getting hard-pressed by the 6th Espada. "Fuck this," he muttered under his breath, ignoring the pain from an ugly cut on his chest. "BAN-KAI!" Reiatsu exploded off his frame, obscuring him for a moment. Ichigo charged through the smoke, aiming a slash with his now much thinner blade at Grimmjow, his overcoat whipping around his body.

"Ha!" cackled the blue-haired arrancar. "I knew you had something hidden up your sleeve! Now let me show you my resurreccion!" Before the Espada could release it, however, a new figure buzzed in front of him, grabbing Grimmjow's arm.

"Dammit, Ulquiorra!" Grimmjow growled. "What are you doing here?"

The new arrancar, Ulquiorra, was pale and wore a helmet-like mask with a spike protruding from its side. Green streaks ran from his eyes down his cheeks, making him look like he was weeping, although his expression was anything but mournful. "Aizen-sama is annoyed. Let us go."

Turning to Ichigo, Ulquiorra said, his face still impassive, "Do not worry, Kurosaki Ichigo. Your time will come soon enough. You shall have your fair share of fights." Turning his back on the captain in bankai, Ulquiorra slashed his hand through the air, opening a black portal. He dragged a protesting Grimmjow through, and it closed behind the two arrancar.

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, sealing his zanpakutou and resheathing it on his back. "Well, this sucks."

#

"Tell me again," Ichigo said, a tick appearing on his forehead, "whose idea it was to all gather in my room?" He looked around at the assembled shinigami, sitting in various spots in his bedroom in his house. After a tearful (and somewhat violent) reunion with his family, in which Yuzu cried, Karin shrugged in indifference, and his father was smashed face-first into the floor, Ichigo had introduced the shinigami to his family.

Yuzu was delighted to discover that he and Rukia were now dating. Before Isshin could shout out something about grandchildren to the whole neighborhood, Rukia had silenced him with a wordless kidou spell. Karin had cackled and held up a hand to give Rukia a high-five, while the rest of the shinigami either sweat-dropped or chuckled at the scene.

"Anyways," he continued, having received no answer to his previous question, "the fact that arrancar have already appeared means that Aizen is beginning to use his Hougyoku to create an army. If he is successful in creating the perfect hybrid between hollow and shinigami, we won't stand a chance. The fight tonight was tough enough as it was." He nodded at the heavily bandaged Ikkaku, who only grinned back at him.

"Well, what do you suggest we do, then?" asked Yumichika, examining himself in a small handheld mirror.

Renji absently tossed and caught a _shakkahou_ cartridge for his kidou gun with his hand. "If we stick to the standard strategies of war, a preemptive attack is necessary at this point. We currently have the advantage in forces, and Aizen is preoccupied with creating his army. We should launch an attack as soon as possible!"

Ichigo snatched the cartridge as it entered the air again. "Although a preemptive attack would be wise, and we do have the advantage resource-wise, if we attack Aizen on his own land, we lose the tactical advantage of terrain. We don't know what Hueco Mundo is like, or the layout of his headquarters. Last I heard from our scouts in Hueco Mundo he had taken over the palace of Las Noches, where the Vasto Lorde Barragan Luisenbarne, the self-styled King of Hueco Mundo, had resided. If Aizen has even taken Barragan into his army, it would be very powerful, since Barragan had control over the vast majority of Adjuchas-class hollow."

All the shinigami present shuddered at the thought of facing so many powerful enemies. Rukia spoke up, "So what do you suggest we do now? We can't just let Aizen keep creating such powerful soldiers. Look how much strength it took us today to defeat a few arrancar. If we had to fight the Espada, the ten most powerful, captain-level arrancar, in a pitched battle, the destruction would be enormous!"

Ichigo sat with his chin in his hands, thinking. "Our situation is a very difficult one, strategically speaking. We have a material advantage, but that advantage is rapidly diminishing. In the meantime, our enemies have the terrain advantage. If we attack them in their own dimension, there would be too many opportunities for them to ambush us if we were to invade. Normally, if this war were a human war, I would say that our side was doomed to lose. Generally, strategy beats tactics, and on a large scale sheer numbers trump skill in battle. However, the gap between strength of vice-captain and captain-level fighters and the regular rank-and-file soldier is great enough that even a single captain-class fighter could change the tide of a battle between armies. With this in mind, I suggest that we send a small raiding party into Hueco Mundo. The goal of that raiding party would be to do as much damage as they can to Aizen's army. There's no point focusing on the petty soldier. Rather, they would focus their strength on the high-level fighters, the Espada. If we take out even a few of the Espada, we would be striking a huge blow to Aizen's army. It would at least even the field a bit, since the Gotei 13 is currently under strength in regards to captain-level fighters. Even better would be if the raiding party could sustain only minimal losses. I don't really like to put it so casually, but the death of a few vice-captains would be well worth getting rid of an Espada or two."

None of the shinigami, including Ichigo, looked happy at the thought of soldiers being used at pawns, but none could deny that this was the truth. Such was the stark horror of war, in which more often than not soldiers were treated as no more than pawns to be sacrificed for a greater prize.

#

Ichigo and Rukia watched as the shinigami reinforcements sent by the Gotei 13 entered the senkai gate. He shook his head and heaved a massive sigh. "Kami, it's at times like this that I'm reminded that my life is anything but normal."

Rukia looked at him, sympathy in her violet eyes. "Do you wish that you could just be a normal human, living out your human life? You could be doing whatever a human teen does, and yet here you are, one of the most powerful people in the Soul Society, with such a heavy burden. Do you ever regret accepting my power?"

Ichigo sighed heavily, and Rukia was reminded of how much he had gone through in his short life. "I've asked myself that question so many times, you know. And I've always come to the same conclusion. You gave me the power to protect those that I love. How could I ever regret that decision? I know that there will be times where this burden will be heavy. I know that sometimes I might think that it's all just too much to take. But I'll always remember the ones that I took this burden for."

He smiled fondly at the short shinigami. Amber eyes met violet, and something sparked. Slowly, ever so slowly, his face approached hers. In an instant, their lips met. This time, it was different. There was a connection, for lack of a better word. This moment felt so _right_ that neither of them wanted to stop. After what seemed like eternity, they finally broke apart.

"Come on, let's finish our date."

#

Guys, I'm so sorry for making you wait so long for this chapter. It's been over a week since I last updated, and I had a moment of writer's block. I just didn't really know where to go from where I last left off, and that along with the fact that I had almost no time last week to write means that this chapter is so late. I really can't think of a way to apologize for this period of not updating other than bringing you another chapter. I finally got over my writer's block, and so this chapter is going to get the ball rolling for the next big arc, which would I suppose be the equivalent of a combination of canon Bleach's Arrancar Arc and Hueco Mundo Arc. At any rate, here it is! I hope you enjoy.

Shameless plug: please go check out my Bleach/Another crossover parallel story, _The Color of Death_. I promise you it'll be worth the read.

Please leave a review, follow, or favorite! I can't describe the feeling I get when I see the email notifying me. Let's hit 400 review this chapter!

~fokker333


	23. Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Some language and violence in this chapter may not be suitable for younger audiences. Read at your own discretion.

#

Ichigo groaned as he read the message on his phone. "Orders from Soul Society," he said to Rukia, who was absently finishing off what was left of the cotton candy he had bought her before the arrancar had attacked. "We're to take the spirit converter for the senkai gate to somewhere called Yomiyama Town. Apparently, Toushiro's there on a mission. Looks like he has to bring some humans over to Soul Society. Must be important."

Rukia nodded and took a final lick of her now bare stick of cotton candy. Tossing it into the trashcan nearby, she popped a gikongan into her mouth, separating from her gigai. Ichigo did the same. "Alright, pretend to enjoy the park for a while, then leave in a few minutes. Take the gigai back to our house and take care of them."

The artificial souls nodded the affirmative. Ichigo turned to Rukia. "Let's go."

#

Ichigo and Rukia ran through the _Dangai_, the precipice world, in silence. The only sound was that of their sandal-clad feet as they smacked against the ground. Thankfully, the Cleaner wasn't scheduled to sweep the Dangai this time, it seemed.

Rukia broke the silence. "Ichigo, I've been thinking about some things recently."

Ichigo looked at her curiously. "About what things?"

"Back then, on the Soukyoku Hill, you said that the Hogyoku was suppressing my powers. What did you mean by that?"

Ichigo thought for a moment about how he would explain. "Well, I suppose the best comparison I can make for the Hogyoku is with an electronic device in the world of the living. In order to sustain something so powerful, it has to have a constant source of energy. In the real world, generally appliances rely on a battery or external power source to get their energy. It's the same with the Hogyoku, except that instead of using electricity, it uses reiatsu. I'm not entirely sure when exactly the you became the Hogyoku's container, so to speak, but it's been siphoning off your reiatsu, and by extension weakening your abilities, for years now. But now that it's gone, your reiatsu levels are at their full potential."

"What exactly is that full potential, do you think?" Rukia mused.

"Well, you've experienced it already, haven't you?" Ichigo said. "Increased power levels for kidou, more physical strength, that sort of stuff. You just need to hone your skills at hand-to-hand combat and your swordsmanship. Since mastery at flash-stepping is directly affected by reiatsu control, which you're already good at, and amount of reiatsu, which has increased because the Hogyoku isn't draining you all the time, so with a bit of practice you can achieve mastery easily. What was your time yesterday when you were training?"

"A little more than 32 seconds," Rukia replied, her voice accompanied with the pattering of feet as they neared the exit of the Dangai to their destination.

"Just shave off a few seconds to get below thirty and you're good," Ichigo said. "In fact, when this little mini-mission we're on is over, let's have a race through the Seireitei. Loser has to buy dinner. You up for it?" Ichigo challenged.

"Hell yeah, Strawberry," Rukia replied, smirking at the familiar nickname. "I hope your wallet's up to all these expenses."

Ichigo laughed somewhat sheepishly. "Actually, you're one of the only people I spend money on other than regular living expenses," he admitted. "I've never been a big spender of money. It's not like I really need to."

Rukia beamed at him. "That's so sweet, Ichigo!" she said in a sugary voice. Ichigo cringed. He didn't dare retort, though. That would only mean being subjected even more to that detested voice.

#

Ichigo and Rukia hopped lightly out of the glowing rice-paper gate into an abandoned parking lot. "Toushiro's nearby," Ichigo said quietly as they waited. "I can sense his reiatsu. There are also two humans with him. I'm assuming they're the ones we're here with the spirit converter for."

Rukia nodded but said nothing. They waited for a few seconds more when a door opened. Out stepped a familiar white-haired prodigy, flanked by a brown-haired boy and a girl with black hair, wearing an eyepatch over her left eye.

Ichigo stepped forward, holding up a hand in greeting. "Yo, Toushiro," he said. Beside him, Rukia bowed politely.

"Greetings, Hitsugaya-taicho," she said.

"Ichigo, I see that you've awoken. You look well, as do you, Kuchiki-san. I'm glad to see you." Toushiro then turned to introduce the humans. "These two are Sakakibara Kouichi and Misaki Mei, the humans I told you about." He gestured to the shinigami. "This is Kurosaki Ichigo, captain of the Twelfth division, and Kuchiki Rukia of the Thirteenth division."

Greetings were exchanged all around, and Toushiro looked at his shinigami friends quizzically. "I knew someone was coming with the matter converter, but I wasn't expecting you two," he said. "What brings you here?"

Ichigo said, "The two of us were already in the living world. When Yamamoto-soutaicho told us about the situation, we were asked to do it since we were already here."

Toushiro smirked at the two. "And what were you doing in the living world in the first place?" He saw the pair blush and his suspicions were immediately confirmed.

"Ah, we were on a date," Ichigo said. "We were attacked by some arrancar, though."

Toushiro frowned. "Aizen's already begun to make them?"

Ichigo nodded. "Looks like it. They weren't too much of a problem, though. We had to call for limit release, though." He indicated Rukia proudly. "Rukia's strong enough to merit a limiter, too."

Toushiro raised an eyebrow. "Congratulations. Will you be applying for the vice-captaincy soon then?"

Rukia blushed at the attention. "That's my plan, yes," she admitted.

Ichigo clapped his hands. "Alright, enough small talk." Turning to the two humans, he explained, "This senkai gate is our primary method of transportation between Soul Society and the world of the living. Generally, only spirits can pass through it, but my vice-captain, Soul Society's resident inventor, created the matter-converter to allow humans to visit. I'm not sure what he intended to use it for, but it comes in handy with situations like this."

Ichigo noticed the pair of humans' dumbfounded expressions and said to them kindly, "It's all a bit hard to get used to at first, isn't it? Don't worry, only a few months ago I was in pretty much the same situation you guys are in. You get used to it after a while, I guess. Although I suppose when it comes down to it, I am the epitome of the word 'exception.'"

The joking tone of voice and light manner that Ichigo spoke with relaxed the two humans substantially. Misaki looked at the captain of the Twelfth division with a calculating look. "What did you mean by the word 'exception'?" she asked.

Rukia grinned. "Ichigo here was alive himself until quite recently. Hitsugaya-taicho told you of all the training shinigami have to go through before even getting promoted to a seated position? Six years at the Academy, another few years of training for shikai, and around ten years of bankai training, and learning how to lead a division. Finally, captain candidates have to pass a test, written and practical, before earning their haori. Ichigo became a shinigami while he was still human. He invaded the Soul Society, achieved and mastered bankai in three days, and earned the captain's position after only a few months of being a shinigami."

Ichigo was blushing awkwardly, embarrassed by the praise and attention, and the awestruck looks the two humans were giving him. "Alright, we _really_ have to go now, before the gate closes. Come on!" He turned and led the way through the senkai gate, which closed behind the group.

#

Ichigo swore as he felt something off with the spiritual resonance of the Dangai. "Goddammit, it feels like the Cleaner's making a run. I guess _someone_ didn't feel like it was necessary for me to know, especially since we have two humans with us that could be put at risk. Stupid geta-boushi!" He turned back to look at the two humans. "Alright, we're going to have to flash-step in order to outrun the Cleaner. Toushiro, you can take Misaki, and I'll take Sakakibara. Rukia, do you think you can keep up? This'll be good practice for your flash-stepping mastery."

Rukia and Toushiro nodded in agreement. Before either of the humans could say anything, they had been swept up by the two captains. Toushiro explained, "We're going to use flash-step, a shinigami movement technique. You might get a little dizzy, so I suggest you hold on tight."

The three shinigami flash-stepped in unison, making their way through the Dangai. Somewhere along the way it became a race, the two captains appropriately handicapped by the humans clinging on for dear life. They flashed through the open gate at the end of the Dangai, landing at exactly the same time. Ichigo and Toushiro exchanged glances. Even handicapped, the fact that Rukia was able to keep up with two captains with flash-step was impressive.

"What was that?" the boy, Sakakibara, asked, gasping for breath.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "That was the Cleaner. It sweeps the Dangai, ejecting any stragglers. Damn that geta-boushi-fukutaicho, I bet he knew it was making a scheduled run. He probably didn't tell me on purpose!" the captain fumed. He looked at the two humans, who were very pale, Misaki paler than she usually was, at any rate. "Sorry that your first trip through the Dangai had to be like that, by the way. I'll have a word with my vice-captain about making your return trip easier."

"The Twelfth division has a subsection called the Research and Development Institute," Rukia explained on the way to the first division barracks. "They deal with all the technical stuff. Ichigo's vice-captain, Urahara Kisuke, is the president of the RDI."

Sakakibara looked at Ichigo curiously. "If you're his superior, why is he the president of the RDI and you aren't?"

Ichigo laughed. "Good question, actually," he said. "I'm not the president of the RDI because I felt he would be more suited for the position. Of course, if I need to I can overrule anything he does instantly, but overall he's in charge. It's a bit complicated, but he was the president of the institution a hundred years ago before he was exiled. As for the story of his exile, this is neither the time nor the place for that."

#

"And that's the situation in Yomiyama Town in the world of the living," Toushiro said, concluding his report. "As requested, I have brought the humans with whom I have been working here to Soul Society. They are both spiritually aware, and I have informed them about the workings of the afterlife on a need-to-know basis. This is Sakakibara Kouichi," he said, indicating the brown-haired boy, who bowed deeply, "and this is Misaki Mei." He gestured to the girl with the eyepatch, who also bowed.

Urahara said, slightly excited, "Misaki-san, would you permit to examine you for a bit later? When Hitsugaya-taicho told me about your artificial eye, I must confess that I was quite intrigued…" As he spoke his expression became more and more like that you would expect to see on a mad scientist. Needless to say, both humans were more than a little intimidated.

Ichigo, seeing their frightened expressions, sighed and smacked Urahara. "As your captain, I hereby order you not to examine them. Must I remind you that you are still on probation?"

Urahara had the decency to look sheepish as he rubbed his sore head. Ichigo turned to the captain-commander. "With your permission, Yamamoto-soutaicho, may I head up all technical investigations for now?"

Yamamoto nodded. "Very well, Kurosaki-taicho, you may do so. If there are no other matters to be discussed, you may be dismissed."

Ukitake spoke before anyone could leave. "Actually, there is something else. As you know, since the death of Shiba Kaien some twenty years ago, the Thirteenth division has been without a vice-captain. This is because there was only one person I deemed worthy of the late Shiba-fukutaicho's position, and this person was unable to take the vice-captaincy due to certain… circumstances." At the last word Ukitake glanced at Byakuya, who was gazing ahead impassively. "Recently, these circumstances have changed. Therefore, I would like to officially nominate Kuchiki Rukia as vice-captain of the Thirteenth division. Please step forward, Kuchiki-san."

Rukia knelt on one knee before the assembly, well aware of the eyes of the captains and vice-captains trained upon her. "Kuchiki Rukia," said Yamamoto in his gravelly voice. "Do you believe that you have the ability to take up this position, one of great importance and responsibility?"

"I do, sir," Rukia affirmed, gaining confidence form Ichigo's reassuring look.

"And do you believe that your skills are strong enough to fight in the front lines, and to lead your division in battle if necessary?"

Rukia thought of all the furious, intense training she had undergone in the last few weeks. She thought of the recent battle against the arrancar in the world of the living, and how she had killed two vice-captain level enemies. She nodded. "I do, sir."

"Then do you pledge to serve your division, the Gotei 13, and all souls to your greatest capacity as befits your division?"

This was it. Rukia took a deep breath. "I do, sir," she said, her voice firm with resolve.

Yamamoto nodded. "Very well. Your skills will be assessed tomorrow, at noon. Your opponent will be Hinamori-fukutaicho. Dismissed!"

#

As Toushiro led the two humans to their temporary living quarters, where they would spend the night in Soul Society, Ichigo escorted Rukia home to the Kuchiki Manor. As they stood near the gates, Ichigo sighed. "Well, that was quite the abnormal date. We enjoy a little bit of an amusement park, get interrupted by arrancar, and get drafted into escorting humans to the Soul Society. But I'm glad that you're finally getting promoted."

"Not officially yet," Rukia said. "I still have to prove my strength in a fight tomorrow." She bit her lip, feeling a bit insecure. "Do you think this is truly the right decision?"

Ichigo nodded. "Have confidence in yourself, Rukia. After fighting by your side for so long, if there's anything I've learned about you, it's that you sell yourself short. You're known as one of the best kidou-users in the Gotei 13. Although it's true that your swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat weren't the best, they've improved drastically in the last few weeks. That you're capable of honing your skills to such an extent in such a short amount of time is testament of your skills, Rukia. Have confidence in yourself and your blade."

Rukia sighed. "I never told you about Kaien, did I?" she asked.

Ichigo blinked. "The previous Thirteenth division vice-captain? I know a bit about what happened to him. He was killed by a hollow, wasn't he?"

"It wasn't quite like that," Rukia admitted, her eyes clouding as she remembered that fateful night. "Kaien-dono was a great man. He was loved by everyone. He was charismatic and strong. His wife, Miyako-dono, was beautiful. They were the role models of the division, and whenever Ukitake-taicho's illness got too bad they would take over the leadership. Everyone looked up to them. Then, one day, Miyako-dono was killed by a hollow." Rukia paused, sadness evident in her voice and expression.

_-Flashback-_

"Kaien-dono, please! This isn't necessary!" pleaded Rukia, trying to dissuade her superior from doing something rash.

"This isn't about what's necessary, Kuchiki!" shouted Kaien, tears leaking from his eyes. "That bastard hollow killed Miyako! I have to do this!" Without another word, he grabbed his zanpakutou and flash-stepped out of the barracks, making his way to the woods, where the hollow that had killed his wife lived.

Seeing no choice, Rukia and Ukitake followed the distraught vice-captain.

"**I smell fresh meat!"** the hollow, a grotesque thing with tentacles growing from its back, cackled. **"Doesn't smell too bright though! Should be tasteful nonetheless! Heehee!"**

Kaien stared down with hatred at the hollow. "Kaien-dono, let me scout out his abilities first," Rukia volunteered from beside him, her hand going to her zanpakutou. She was interrupted before she could draw it, however.

"Captain, permission to fight it alone."

Rukia looked at her superior, shocked.

"Granted."

Rukia could only look on in horror as Kaien jumped from the tree branch, landing softly on the ground.

"**Heeheehee! So you're first? Eh? Brat!"** the hollow laughed.

Kaien said quietly, "Before we start, I need to confirm something."

The hollow looked at the vice-captain questioningly.

"Up to now, how many shinigami have you eaten?"

The hollow had stopped laughing and seemed to be seriously considering the question. **"How many?"** It paused for a moment, then laughed. **"Sorry, but I don't keep track of that!"**

Kaien continued his questioning. "Have you ever felt sad or regretful about killing?"

The hollow was silent. After a moment, it said, "That's a really stupid question. I, like you, have a heart! There are nights when I feel regretful about the shinigami I ate… Even now, I feel regretful about what happened last night."

Rukia could feel her vice-captain and captain's reiatsu tense, anticipating what the hollow would say next.

"**ESPECIALLY ABOUT THAT FEMALE SHINIGAMI LAST NIGHT! I DIDN'T EAT HER HEAD OR BODY… I REALLY REGRET NOT DOING IT! HEEHEEHEE!"**

Kaien placed a hand on his zanpakutou. "I see…" were his only words. Slowly and silently, he drew his blade.

The hollow tensed in anticipation of the attack. It never had a chance to react. In a spurt of blood, two of its limbs were severed from its body. The hollow felt something grab a tentacle on its back. Kaien stood on the hollow, a tentacle gripped tightly in his hand, his sword poised to strike.

"Surge, waters and heaven,_ Nejibana_!"

Rukia held her breath as her vice-captain began to release his zanpakutou. Kaien spun the blade in his hand, preparing for it to morph as usual into the trident that was Nejibana's shikai form. It never came.

Instead of morphing, the blade and hilt dissolved away, blowing into the wind, leaving the cloth-wrapped hilt grasped in Kaien's hand. The hollow began to chuckle, a deep, sinister sound that grew in intensity. **"Once every night,"** it said, laughing, **"the first shinigami to touch my tentacles will lose his zanpakutou!"**

The tentacles on the hollow's back exploded outward. Blood flew as Kaien desperately defended himself from the onslaught.

"Kaien-dono!" Rukia cried out. Gripping the hilt of her sword, she charged forward, intent on helping her vice-captain. She was stopped by a large hand, grasping her own, preventing her from drawing her blade. Turning, she looked up in confusion at the owner of the hand. "Captain!" she said, beseeching her superior. "Please, let go of me! Kaien-dono… if we don't help Kaien-dono…"

Ukitake's words stopped her desperate plea. "If we help him, what will happen to his pride?" She stared up at the senior captain as he went on speaking. "Surely, if you jump in now, you can save his life. However, at the same time, you will also murder his pride."

Rukia could not contain her outburst. "Pride is not important in comparison to life!" she said, sweat beading on her face.

Ukitake did not raise his voice. Instead, he spoke calmly, like he always did. "Rukia, remember this," he advised her softly. "There are two types of fights. Whenever we are in battle, we must be fighting one of the two." He watched sadly as his vice-captain continued to fight a futile battle, attempting to kill the hollow using only hand-to-hand combat. "The fight for life, or the fight for pride!"

Rukia could see that her captain was struggling himself, resisting the urge to jump into battle to help his subordinate. "Right now, he is fighting for pride! His wife's pride, his men's pride… and most importantly, his own personal pride. Dismiss this as his stubbornness," Ukitake said, facing her once again and turning away from the fight. "and let him fight alone like this."

Beneath them, Kaien skidded to a halt on the ground, bleeding from multiple cuts and gashes. **"Hee hee,"** the hollow chuckled. **"You're still able to put up a fight, even without a zanpakutou… you're not bad, brat!"** it taunted.

Kaien grinned a vicious grin. "Of course," he grit out. "Against a hollow of your level, all I need are hand-to-hand and kidou! Sorry, but I'm going to defeat you like this!"

"**You sure talk big!"** the hollow shouted. **"It can't be helped… I wasn't planning to use this because of last night, but…"** Suddenly, all the tentacles on its back turned white and flew at Kaien. **"Since you underestimated me like that, I have no choice!"**

Rukia watched in horror as the tentacles vanished, digging themselves into Kaien's wrist, which he had thrown up to defend himself. The hollow's body fell apart, striking the ground with soft _thumps_. "Kaien…" she uttered softly, worry shooting through her for her superior.

"**Yes?"** A chill ran down her spine at the voice coming from the vice-captain, one that definitely did not belong to Kaien. Slowly, he turned his head, and Rukia was horrified at the sight of his eyes, which were now black with golden sclera. **"You called, little girl?"**

Kaien, no, the hollow in Kaien's body licked its lips. **"Why do you say my name so many times?"** it asked, a sinister grin on its face. **"Are you that worried about my safety, little girl? Do you care about me that much?"** Kaien's eyes were now rimmed with the same markings that the hollow had around its eye sockets in the mask. He whipped his head up to stare at Rukia, and she backed away, horrified as she gazed into his now-empty eye sockets. **"Am I that special to you, little girl?"**

Before Rukia could react, Kaien's possessed body had already leapt into the air, straight at her. **"Since you like me so much, then let me eat you!"**

Rukia could only stare in shock as Ukitake leapt to her defense, his zanpakutou clamped tightly between the possessed Kaien's teeth. "Captain!" she breathed.

"Run, Kuchiki!" the senior captain ordered her. Rukia stood, unresponsive. Turning his head, Ukitake shouted at his subordinate, "Start running! Do you want to die?" Rukia saw the beads of sweat on his face as he struggled to keep the hollow at bay. Terror filled her being, and she turned and ran.

_Why… _she wondered, tears mingling with sweat as she fled from her captain and the hollow, and Kaien. _Why did it end like this… why…_ She squeezed her eyes shut. _Kaien-dono!_

She stopped running, digging her heels into the forest earth. _I can't leave him! _she thought. _Somehow… I have to help Kaien-dono!_ She watched as Kaien's possessed body leapt straight for her. Behind him, Ukitake coughed, blood splashing from his mouth onto his clothing.

"Kill it!" her captain shouted, his voice hoarse from coughing. "That is not Kaien anymore!"

At these words, Rukia froze. _No… that's not possible!_ she thought desperately. _Kaien-dono… he has to be alive!_ She stood stock-still, her blade pointed harmlessly into the air, staring as Kaien - the hollow – neared her.

"KILL IT!"

Rukia could only watch in horror as her body reacted instinctively. With a gut-wrenching sound and a spurt of blood, her blade entered Kaien's body, protruding from his back. Blood poured from the wound, covering the hilt of her blade and her hand, dripping to the ground. A drop of water fell from the sky, landing on Rukia's cheek as she stared up at her vice-captain's body, impaled upon her sword. Rain began to fall, mingling with the sweat and tears on her face, washing away the drops of blood from Kaien's body that stained her chin a crimson red.

"Captain," Kaien said weakly, lifting his head up to look up at Ukitake. "Thanks… for letting me… fight until the end…"

Ukitake could only look at his dying vice-captain sadly. "…Yeah…" he said.

Rukia felt Kaien shift, raising a hand to place on her back. "Kai…Kaien-dono?" she said, her voice shaking.

"Kuchiki…" Kaien said, the words slipping from his bloodstained lips. "I dragged you into this… my stubbornness has caused you pain… I'm sorry. You must be torn apart inside. Thanks to you… my heart… can still stay here…"

Kaien finished speaking. With a sigh, his hand went limp from her back, slowly disintegrating into the spirit particles that composed of everything in the Soul Society.

_No._ Rukia's hand clutched the back of Kaien's shihakusho. _No, I… didn't do anything to deserve thanks!_ _I ran away… because I was afraid to fight you. I came back… because I was afraid to face my cowardice in the future. I stabbed you… because I couldn't bear to see you in pain… The only one that I saved… was my ugly self._

_-End Flashback-_

Rukia let out a shuddering sigh as she finished recalling the tale and fell silent. She looked up from her seat on the ground in the Kuchiki Manor at Ichigo. The pair were sitting beneath a cherry tree, just beginning to burst into bloom.

Ichigo's voice was soft as he asked, "Do you think you did the right thing?"

"I… I'm not sure about this anymore," Rukia admitted. "Back then, I believed that everything I did that night, all of my actions, were selfish. But now, when I reflect upon that night, when I can think about Shiba Kaien without at the same time feeling an intense self-loathing, I realize that… it was what Kaien-dono would have wanted. He… he left his heart with me, so he's not truly gone. Even if his body, his soul has been consumed, he will never truly die. His legacy is left with those who knew him. And by taking his old position, I will continue that legacy!"

Ichigo smiled. "Ukitake-san… when he talked about fights for one's life and fights for pride… I'm going to have to make a slight modification to that, I think." Rukia raised an eyebrow at him, prompting him to continue. "Although it's true that fighting for pride is important, someone should never have to shoulder their pride alone. A true companion carries a warrior's pride with them!"

"…Yeah," Rukia said with a smile. "Kaien-dono… his last words to me… he told me, 'Never die alone, Kuchiki.'"

Ichigo leaned in, wrapping an arm around Rukia's waist. "And now you don't have to ever worry about disobeying your superior's last order to you. You will never, ever have to die alone. Not while I'm here." Their lips met. It was a chaste kiss, and short, but in it was carried all the love, pride, and compassion shared between the couple.

Kuchiki Byakuya watched Rukia and Ichigo from the doorway of the manor house. He silently fingered the silver frame of the revolver that now hung from his waist, opposite of his zanpakutou. It sat in a hand-made, black fabric holster that he had commissioned from the best craftsmen of the Seireitei. The holster was expensive, but the gift that it held was priceless. Byakuya turned and walked into the house, sliding the door shut softly behind him.

#

Here's another chapter done! Unfortunately, I think at this rate I'm not going to be able to update bi-weekly anymore… Most likely my updates will come once a week, which is still a decent update rate, so hopefully you guys won't get too mad at me for that.

If you don't understand the relevance of the two humans, Sakakibara Kouichi and Misaki Mei, in this chapter, please go check out my parallel story, _The Color of Death_. The plotline for that story and this one run simultaneously, which is why for the next few chapters Toushiro will be in the world of the living on his own mission, and why there may be references to Yomiyama Town and the situation there throughout the next few chapters.

So, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter! It's mostly plot development (Rukia's promotion) and fluff, which will make many of you happy. Next chapter will be Rukia's duel against Hinamori, and Ichigo will confront his inner hollow again! Drop a review, and I'll see you all next chapter!

~fokker333


	24. Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. Some content in this chapter (language and violence) may not be suitable for younger readers. Read at your own discretion.

#

Rukia took a deep breath as she gazed across the arena at her opponent. Since Aizen's betrayal, she had become close friends with the Fifth division vice-captain. Because of the close bond created between Ichigo and Toushiro, the two female shinigami had also become quite close. And now they were going to fight to prove Rukia's strength and worthiness to become the vice-captain of the Thirteenth division.

"If both combatants are ready, then you may begin!"

Momo and Rukia nodded at the captain-commander's order. Momo narrowed her eyes at Rukia. "We may be friends, Rukia-san, but please don't think that because of our friendship I'm going to go easy on you. After all, I know some of the captains still doubt my mental stability after Aizen's betrayal. This is as much a test for me as it is for you. I have to prove myself to the captains, to show that I'm worthy of leading a division as its vice-captain!"

Rukia smirked. "I wouldn't expect anything less, Hinamori-fukutaicho!" In a flurry of flash-step, they clashed. Sparks flew as the two shinigami demonstrated their prowess with their swords. They exchanged blows mechanically, alternating between defending and attacking. Rukia grunted slightly in exertion as she blocked a swipe that would have sliced a gash in her forehead. She was slightly surprised at the strength Momo had behind her swings, but remembered that since physical strength was tied directly to the force of a shinigami's reiatsu, then Momo's physical strength would be considerable as well.

Momo blocked a horizontal slash aimed at her midsection, jumping back a few paces. Extending an open palm, she shouted, "Hado no. 4, _Byakurai!_" The streak of white lightning burst from her palm, shooting at Rukia, who slashed at it, pulsing her own reiatsu to dispel the kidou.

Rukia responded in kind, beginning a period of kidou exchanges that culminated in Momo chanting, "Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel! With light, divide this into six! Bakudou no. 61, _Rikujokouro!"_

Rukia grimaced as she was bound in place by the six flat rods of light. Flaring her reiatsu as much as possible, she frantically tried to escape the binding as Momo began her next chant. "Sprinkled on the bone of the beast! Sharp tower, red crystal, steel ring. Move and become the wind, stop and become the calm. The sound of warring spears fills the empty castle!"

Rukia was grateful that this particular kidou spell had a rather long incantation. She managed to break the binding right before Momo finished the spell. Unable to flash-step out of the way or counter, she had only one option. "Bakudou no. 81, _Danku!_" The transparent shield appeared a split second before the raging lightning impacted.

The smoke from the subsequent explosion blinded all who were present and watching the duel. Ichigo coughed, flaring his reiatsu to clear away the dust around his person. He watched the center of the arena in anticipation. He was rewarded by a burst of cold air sweeping away the rest of the dust, revealing Rukia with her zanpakutou released, the white ribbon fluttering in the wind.

Opposite her, Momo had also released her zanpakutou, the blade now straightened, with prongs extending from either side. Ichigo frowned at the Fifth division vice-captain's zanpakutou release. The design didn't make for practical fighting. It was clearly a kidou type. Ichigo leaned forward to watch the vice-captain fight closely.

The two fighters circled, watching each other's movements carefully, waiting for the perfect chance to move. After a moment, Rukia made the first move. Deciding to open up with a long-ranged attack, she moved into a combat position. "First dance, _Tsukishirou!_" She slashed horizontally through the air, the ribbon trailing behind her blade. A large glowing white circle appeared on the ground beneath Momo's feet, cold air blowing through the arena.

Momo, knowing the basics behind Rukia's attack, flash-stepped out of the circle a split second before it became a massive column of ice shooting hundreds of feet into the air. The captains and vice-captains watching were impressed at the speed and power that the column formed, which was vastly improved from a mere few weeks ago.

Momo dropped out of flash-step a few dozen meters away from her original position. An orange-red glow surrounded her zanpakutou's released form, and as she swung it in an arc at Rukia, a fireball appeared at the base of the blade, where the blade met the guard. As the sword continued its arc through the air, the fireball grew larger as it travelled towards the tip of the blade, gathering strength as it passed the prongs on either side. The fireball burst from the blade at the apex of the swing, whistling through the air with a sound akin to a seagull's cry.

Toushiro smiled as he saw the fireball. Momo herself had been training for the past few weeks, like Rukia, with the desire of becoming stronger and worthy of leading the Fifth division. He himself had watched many of the training sessions and had the opportunity of watching her strength grow. This fireball was the strongest she had produced yet.

Rukia calmly took a different stance as the fireball screamed towards her, her blade pointing straight at the approaching ball of flame. "Second dance, _Hakuren!_" A rush of cold air and snow erupted from the ground, gathering at the tip of her blade and shooting towards the fireball. The two attacks collided with a loud _hiss_ and a cloud of steam as snow met fire. Both shinigami, without pause, charged at each other, blades swinging, through the steam. Sparks flew, hissing as the hot particles met the steam, as they clashed, in a flurry of swordsmanship that rivaled any vice-captain's.

Rukia abandoned her traditional kendo form, wielding Sode no Shirayuki in one hand. Extending the other, she yelled out, "Hadou no. 33, _Sokatsui!_" The blue fire crashed into a fireball that Momo used to counter the kidou. Leaving her hand free, Rukia said something that startled almost everyone present. "Third dance, _Shirafune!_"

Ichigo watched with a smirk as cold air gathered around Rukia's left hand, materializing as a copy of Sode no Shirayuki's sealed form, made completely out of ice. Rukia grasped the hilt of the second blade and launched herself at Momo in a series of spinning strikes. She had only recently learned the new ability, Ichigo knew, and had enlisted the help of her captain to train her in dual-bladed fighting styles. That training paid off now as he watched Rukia skillfully wield her pair of blades completely unhindered.

Opposite her, Momo, despite being at the disadvantage, continued to defend just as skillfully, meeting every strike with the blade or guard of her zanpakutou. Rukia stabbed with Sode no Shirayuki, causing Momo to block, catching the pure-white blade in one of the prongs of her own blade. Rukia didn't hesitate, bringing her ice blade swinging around at Momo's undefended side.

Momo took a hand from her zanpakutou's hilt, pointing a finger at the incoming ice blade. A pulse of reiatsu blasted from her extended fingertip, forcing the ice-blade away. Toushiro smirked. Wordless kidou was a difficult feat to accomplish, but it was only to be expected from one of the best kidou users in the Gotei 13.

Pushing apart, the two fighters took a moment to catch their breath, slightly fatigued by their constant exertions. They charged again at each other, blades swinging in an action that Ichigo knew would decide the match. Rukia's ice-blade was blocked and caught again between the prongs of Tobiume. This time, Momo twisted her blade, sending the ice-blade spinning through the air to embed itself in the ground behind her.

Both combatants froze, Tobiume's tip poised at Rukia's throat, a fireball growing at the hilt. Likewise, Sode no Shirayuki's razor-sharp edge was resting lightly across Momo's neck, her carotid artery pulsing gently beneath the white blade.

The entire arena burst into applause and cheers as the gathered shinigami roared in approval of the amazing demonstration they had just witnessed. Ichigo, Toushiro, and the other captains leaned forward, discussing quietly what they had just witnessed. Standing, Yamamoto smacked the floor with his cane. "Silence!"

The arena slowly became quiet as the gathered shinigami reigned in their excitement. "The captains of the Gotei 13 have made their decision. Kuchiki Rukia, you have demonstrated your mastery over the shinigami arts well. Please come forward and accept the vice-captain's armband as a sign of your official promotion."

Ukitake flashed into the arena, the armband in his hands. Rukia ran her fingers lightly over the division symbol, the snowdrop, etched on the bronze plate. Ukitake smiled as he tied it around Rukia's upper arm, and the arena once again burst into cheers as Rukia bowed to them, ecstasy rushing through her at her new position. Ichigo flashed beside her, giving her a wide smile that few had ever seen gracing his face.

"I knew you could do it."

#

Rukia frowned from her seat in the Kuchiki Manor as the elders argued. She stole a glance at Byakuya, who was sitting at the head of the gathered elders, fulfilling his position as clan head. She suppressed an irritated sigh, maintaining her perfectly cool mask as the elders continued to argue.

"This is preposterous, Kuchiki-kyo!" shouted one wizened old man. "We may have allowed you to marry Hisana-sama, but we cannot allow this… _scandal_ to continue! You have already stretched the clan's laws by marrying a commoner. Rukia-sama is the next in line for the clan headship! She must marry another noble! We cannot allow the Kuchiki blood to be tainted by that… _peasant!_"

Byakuya opened his eyes, fixing the old man with a glare that Rukia had seen used on those who had offended her brother all too often. "Are you implying that the suitor I've chosen for Rukia is unworthy of her affections?"

Another elder, an old woman this time, spoke up. "It's not a matter of affections, Kuchiki-kyo. You of all people should know that. It is a matter of political gain! The commoner that she is courting has no political power or connections. It would be a worthless marriage."

Rukia gritted her teeth in anger. Who did these elders think they were, speaking of the eternal bond of marriage like it was a mere way to gain power?

Before she could lose control and give a biting remark, Byakuya interrupted. Inclining his head at the woman who had spoken, he said, "Although it is true that Rukia's suitor has no connections to the noble families, he still holds considerable power and political influence, enough that his marriage to Rukia would prove beneficial to the Kuchiki Clan."

The first elder shouted out, "Ridiculous! How can there be such an individual outside of the noble families? We haven't even heard of the man, how can you expect us to believe such lies?"

Byakuya smirked, causing some of the gathered elders to flinch. "It is true that none of you have met the man I have chosen to be Rukia's suitor. So I would like to take this opportunity to introduce him formally to the elders of the Kuchiki Clan. I would like you all to meet Kurosaki Ichigo."

The door to the meeting room slid open, and Rukia caught her breath at the sight. Ichigo, aware of the formal setting this meeting was held in, was dressed in a black silk button-down shirt and neatly-pressed black slacks. He wore a long black wool overcoat, not dissimilar to his bankai coat, over the shirt, the hem of the overcoat flapping softly around his calves. Rukia noticed a gleaming black handgun in a black leather holster hanging at his side. Shiny leather shoes clicked against the floor as Ichigo entered, the room, sliding the door shut behind him. His hands were covered in fine black silk gloves, and he clutched a silver-topped black cane, the wood polished to a sheen that glowed softly in the light. On his head he wore a black felt top hat, which he removed as he entered. All in all, Ichigo looked like he had come straight out of Victorian England.

Bowing to the gathered elders, Ichigo spoke in a cultured, polite tone. "Greetings, Kuchiki elders." He nodded to Byakuya, who was looking over his attire with approval. "Thank you for inviting me here today, Kuchiki-kyo." Noticing the elders muttering over his clothing, he smiled softly. "I apologize if you find my clothing distasteful. I discovered that for formal events, I preferred the western style of dress over the traditional Japanese garments and decided to dress accordingly."

Getting over their initial shock, the elders again began arguing with Byakuya, ignoring Ichigo completely. "Despite his attire, the fact remains that the _boy_ has no political ties!"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow in amusement at the elders' quibbling, and Byakuya coughed delicately. "My apologies, elders, Kurosaki-dono," he said, ignoring the outcry the elders gave at the use of the honorific. "I believe that I forgot to mention Kurosaki Ichigo's position. He is the recently promoted captain of the Twelfth division of the Gotei 13."

Rukia's mask broke and she was unable to suppress a grin at the shocked expressions on the elders' faces as they learned that the well-dressed individual standing before them was one of the most powerful individuals in the Seireitei. Byakuya continued his introduction, ignoring the sudden silence. "Kurosaki-taicho is also an accredited genius. In only a few months of being captain and having access to the resources of the Research and Development Institute, he has already pioneered the field of kidou, creating a device that allows a fighter to fire multiple kidou in quick succession with minimal reiatsu use."

Since many of the elders had some reiatsu and basic knowledge of the shinigami arts, since the captain of the Sixth division was traditionally of the Kuchiki Clan, they were skeptical. "Don't be ridiculous!" scoffed one elder. "Something like that is impossible!"

Ichigo smirked as Byakuya nodded at him, giving him approval for a demonstration. He placed a gloved hand over the grip of his customized Browning M1911, pulling it from its holster in a practiced move. He racked the slide in a deft pull, ejecting a single gleaming silver cartridge from the chamber, catching it between his gloved thumb and index finger. Holding it in the light for the elders to examine, he said, "This small cartridge, based on the Quincy ginto, holds a kidou spell. It is concentrated and put into temporal stasis with another kidou spell, and the cartridge is sealed with reiatsu." Loading it back into the handgun, Ichigo flipped the safety off.

Pulling a small, palm-sized rubber disc from his pocket, Ichigo tossed it into the air. Spinning the gun in his hand deftly, he aimed and fired. An invisible force smashed into the disc, flipping it through the air. Ichigo fired six more times, emptying the magazine, each time hitting the spinning, airborne disc with an accuracy that even Byakuya was impressed at. Ejecting the empty magazine, Ichigo had a fresh one loaded and a new round chambered before the old magazine hit the floor. Catching it with his shoe, he kicked and the empty magazine flew through the air. In a quick movement, Ichigo caught the magazine, flash-stepped, and caught the spinning disc before it hit the floor. Flashing again to his original position, he bowed to the elders after holstering his gun and storing the empty magazine and the rubber disc in an inner pocket of his overcoat.

He sniggered silently at the slack-jawed expression of the elders. Byakuya smirked. "I trust this demonstration was sufficient to prove his abilities?"

Stunned, the head elder nodded slowly as his mind struggled to catch up with Ichigo's impossibly fast movements. Ichigo bowed again to the elders. Nodding to Byakuya, he said deliberately casually, "Thanks for inviting me again, Byakuya." Smirking, he left the room.

One of the elders looked at Byakuya with wide eyes. "The boy-"

"Kurosaki-taicho," Byakuya interjected smoothly.

"Kurosaki-taicho is on first-name terms with you?" the elder asked, incredulous.

Byakuya nodded, impressed at the young captain's subtle hints. "He is," he acknowledged. "I consider him a close friend of mine."

This single statement sealed the coffin for the elders' arguments. Resignedly, the lead elder stood. "Very well, Kuchiki-kyo," he said, his expression one of defeat. "We will allow Kurosaki Ichigo to court Rukia-sama. This meeting is adjourned."

Rukia struggled to control herself. After the last elder filed out of the door, she burst into laughter. Even Byakuya chuckled softly. "Ichigo certainly is something," the noble said amusedly.

Rukia choked back her laughter. "That was perfect!" she said. "The elders looked like they didn't know what hit them!"

Byakuya smiled at his adopted sister. "I've given you this chance with him, Rukia," he said softly. "Ichigo is a good man. Don't mess it up."

Rukia grinned. "I won't, nii-sama, don't worry."

"I don't, imouto-sama. I don't," Byakuya said.

#

Rukia sighed contentedly as she snuggled against Ichigo's warm torso as the couple sat on the roof of the Twelfth division barracks. After Ichigo had become captain, the division was no longer the place that shinigami avoided like the plague. It was now no different from any of the other divisions, and the fact that there was no longer a mad scientist willing to turn his subordinates into living bombs in charge meant that division recruitment from the Academy increased significantly.

The pair watched as the sun set on the western horizon of the Seireitei, dipping down over the western districts of the Rukongai. Ichigo nudged Rukia softly. "Hey, you grew up in the western Rukongai, didn't you? Tell me a little about it."

Rukia nodded. "That's right. In the 78th district, _Inuzuri_." Her face darkened as she recalled her time there. "It's a really corrupt place. There was no order, everyone had to fend for themselves. Sympathy and compassion were virtually nonexistent. Renji and I, along with our friends, had to steal from shops and food stands to survive. And if we ever got caught, well, let's just say it wasn't pleasant."

Ichigo frowned. "And the Gotei 13 doesn't do anything to regulate it at all? Shinigami are supposed to protect the balance of souls. Doesn't that include the souls in the Rukongai?"

Rukia nodded. "Technically, yes. But Yamamoto-soutaicho withdrew all shinigami from the Rukongai centuries ago. There are simply too many souls out there, and too few shinigami to regulate them all. The districts closer to the Seireitei see more shinigami activity, but in the higher districts, it's completely lawless. I hear that some districts are ruled by tyrannical warlords and their underlings who treat the souls terribly, but the Gotei 13 doesn't even lift a finger to help those souls in need," she said bitterly.

"After this war is over," Ichigo promised, "I'm going to fix that. Nobody should have to live in conditions like that." Anger pulsed through him at the thought of millions of innocent souls being terrorized and abused by others, and the thought that even though Yamamoto knew of this, he did nothing to stop it.

Pain burst through his head, and Ichigo groaned, clutching his temples with his hand. "Shit… not now!"

Rukia looked at him in concern. "Ichigo, what's wrong? Ichigo!"

Ichigo grit his teeth, speaking through the pain. "Dammit, this is not good. Come with me, Rukia." Grabbing her by the arm, he flashed away.

They dropped out of flash-step in a large underground chamber that Rukia recognized as the foundry and lab in the Twelfth division. "Ichigo, what-"

"URAHARA!" Ichigo roared through the pain. In an instant, the vice-captain appeared next to Ichigo. Ichigo lost control and a column of reiatsu poured off of him, knocking the breath out of Rukia.

Urahara instantly began trying to stabilize Ichigo's reiatsu, pouring his own out to try and counter the captain's raging power.

"Will someone tell me what's going on?" Rukia screamed over Ichigo's shouts of pain and Urahara's grunts of exertion, confused and worried and frustrated all at the same time.

Ichigo collapsed to the ground, exhausted, his vision beginning to blur. Summoning the last of his energy, he muttered, "Urahara… explain. Have… to… fight…" He lost consciousness.

Urahara sighed. "He's stable for now. All we can do now is wait for him to fight in his inner world."

"Inner world?" Rukia asked, bewildered. "Why does he have to fight his zanpakutou?"

Urahara shook his head, looking grim. "Not his zanpakutou, Kuchiki-fukutaicho," he said, gazing with concern at Ichigo's prone form. He sighed. "This is going to be difficult to explain…"

#

Rukia looked with concern at Ichigo, who was unconscious and lying in a makeshift cot in the underground foundry and lab. "So you're telling me that Aizen injected a hollow into Ichigo's soul?" she asked.

Urahara hummed cheerily. "It's not quite so simple. Actually, when this first happened, Ichigo came up with a theory, which subsequent tests supported. He thinks that a soul is actually divided into two parts, a shinigami part and a hollow part. Because there are certain conditions in the existence of the Soul Society, the shinigami part of a soul tends to be dominant. We think that whatever Aizen injected him with awoke the hollow half of his soul in an attempt to create the perfect hybrid. We think he was using Ichigo as a test subject, a precursor for the arrancar that attacked you in the world of the living."

"So, is there anything we can to do help him?" Rukia asked.

Urahara sighed. "I'm afraid not. In order to become powerful enough to defeat the arrancar and Aizen, Ichigo must accept his hollow half's power on his own. He can only do that in his inner world. All we can do is to keep his body in good condition and wait it out. It's up to him now." He looked at Rukia with a serious expression. "I hope you realize the importance of secrecy about this matter, Kuchiki-fukutaicho," he said solemnly. "Given the captains' ingrained prejudice against hollows, they won't take the fact that one of their own captains has hollow powers. Their reaction will be especially strong due to Aizen, Gin, and Tousen's recent betrayal. So I have to say this: none of what I just told you is allowed to leave this room."

Rukia nodded grimly. "I understand, Urahara-fukutaicho. Thank you for letting me know." Turning back to Ichigo's body, she murmured softly, "Be careful in there, Ichigo."

#

Ichigo groaned as he woke up in his inner world. "Goddammit, fucking hollow," he swore loudly. Looking around at the inverted skyscrapers, he called out, "Zangetsu-ossan, are you here?" No response. Ichigo didn't expect any, though. He suspected that the hollow had done something with his zanpakutou spirit, suppressed him or something. And so he waited for the inevitable, the appearance of his inner hollow. He was not to be disappointed.

"**Yo, King,"** smirked the hollow as it appeared, his inverted blade slung over his shoulder nonchalantly. **"I promised you that if you let your guard down, I would be here to challenge you again.**"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the hollow. "You're not taking control anytime soon, hollow," he said. "In fact, I have other plans for you."

"**Other plans?" **asked the hollow, head cocked in curiosity. **"I gotta admit, King, I'm intrigued. What other plans do you mean? If it's a fight you want, all you gotta do is ask, ya know."**

Ichigo chuckled. "It's not a fight I want, hollow." He paused as a sudden thought struck him. "Hey, I know that you're the manifestation of my negative feelings and all, but do you have a name? It feels a bit derivative to keep calling you 'hollow' like that."

"**A name?" **the hollow scoffed. **"I don't have a name. I'm part of you, after all, King. If you're gonna name part of your soul, doesn't that make you a bit crazy? I hear there's a disorder for that. It's called bipolar disorder, know about it?" **it asked mockingly.

Ichigo ignored the hollow's taunts as he thought. An idea struck him, and he snapped his fingers. "I know! How about Shirosaki Satsujin?" he asked, smirking at the thought. "You know, since you're all white and all."

"**Che. So I'm a murderer, am I? Complete antithesis of your will to protect. Perfect." **The hollow smirked. **"I like it."**

Ichigo grinned. "Alright, it's settled then. From now on, you're Shirosaki Satsujin."

"**Heh," **Satsujin smirked. **"But that still doesn't answer my question. What are your other plans that you mentioned?"**

"I need your power," Ichigo said.

These were the last words Satsujin expected to hear from his king's mouth. **"Say what?" **he asked, bewildered. **"You don't want to fight?"** Ichigo swore he heard disappointment in Satsujin's voice.

"Nope," Ichigo said casually.

"**Heh. So you want my power, eh? Sure, I could let you use some of my powers, if you defeat me in a fight."**

"Sorry, Satsujin.I didn't make it clear enough. I want you to merge with the shinigami half of my soul," Ichigo said.

"**No. Definitely not," **the hollow said, crossing his arms emphatically.

"Why not?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "I really want to know."

"**You realize that my merging myself with you, I****'m basically committing suicide?"** Satsujin asked.

"That's not how I see it," Ichigo said. "After all, you're just a part of my soul. You were born out of me, you're just a manifestation of the other part of my soul, the part that was suppressed after I became a shinigami. If you merge with me, you will _become_ me. And with you merged with my soul, I could attain immeasurable power. _You_ would attain immeasurable power. How could you pass off an opportunity like that?"

Satsujin thought about it for a moment. **"Actually, if you put it that way, it doesn't sound too bad, does it, King? If I become you, our consciousnesses become one, right? That means I'm technically in control of your body!" **He laughed in excitement.

Ichigo frowned. "Of course, at first it'll be strange and unfamiliar, and it'll seem like I have bipolar disorder or something like that, since I might subconsciously be trying to reject your personality, but in time I think we could train ourselves to get used to it. So, what do you say, Shirosaki Satsujin?"

Satsujin smirked. **"Let's do it, King. But let me clarify first, I'm not doing this because I like you. I'm doing this for the power!"**

Ichigo smirked right back. "Greed, the negative aspect of my selflessness, eh? Alright, so how do we do this?"

Satsujin sheathed his sword on his back, approaching Ichigo with an outstretched arm. **"All you have to do is accept my power, and I'll do the rest. Let me warn you though, King, it's gonna take quite a bit of training for you to properly utilize my power. And merging with me is gonna hurt like a bitch."**

They clasped hands. Satsujin's reiatsu flared. And Ichigo screamed as mind-numbing pain, pain unlike anything he had ever experienced, physical and emotional and psychological pain, coursed throughout his body like fire. "FUCKKKKKK!"

#

Hey! Surprised? I had some time this week, so I decided to take advantage of it and bring you guys another chapter. I don't really have anything else to say about it, so I hope you enjoyed it. Please take some time and drop a review. You can just say how you felt about it, a few short words, or whatever, but a nice lengthy review with constructive criticism is always appreciated. As always, don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions. See you guys next time!

By the way, the _kyo_ honorific is used to address a lord of a wealthy clan or household. The word _Satsujin_ is roughly translated as 'murderer' or 'killer'.

~fokker333


	25. Chapter 22

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. This chapter may contain language and violence that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Read at your own discretion.

#

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryuusai looked around at the gathered captains and vice-captains irritably. "Would anyone care to inform me the exact locations of our newest captain and newly promoted vice-captains?"

None of the assembled high-ranking shinigami could respond. Yamamoto sighed. "I may be beginning to regret my decision to promote Kurosaki, as well as allow him to keep Urahara Kisuke as his vice-captain, despite putting him on probation. Very well, then. Let this meeting-"

The doors to the barracks slammed open, revealing the very haggard forms of Kurosaki Ichigo, Urahara Kisuke, and Kuchiki Rukia. Byakuya gazed at the trio in disapproval at their disheveled clothing, while Soi Fon openly rolled her eyes in disgust. Yamamoto raised an eyebrow at their appearance. "Ah, here they are. Care to explain your lateness, Kurosaki-taicho, along with that of Urahara-fukutaicho and Kuchiki-fukutaicho? I assume the reasons for your tardiness are the same, considering you all arrived at the same time and in the save state."

Ichigo straightened his slightly wrinkled haori and dusted off his shihakusho. "Not particularly, Yamamoto-soutaicho," he said, wincing slightly as a twinge of pain shot through his chest where he knew his soul chain and soul sleep, the centers of his powers as a shinigami (and now hollow) were located. "No offense intended, of course," he added quickly as he saw Komamura begin to give an indignant response. "I would prefer not to discuss what the Research and Development Institute is currently working on. We may be on the verge of a breakthrough, but at this stage testing is still inconclusive. I would not like to divulge too much information on a potential advantage over Aizen when it is completely possible that the experiment may not work out at all."

Yamamoto sighed. Clearly, he was getting no answers from his youngest captain. He could of course order Ichigo to tell the captains exactly what he was working on, but with Aizen's betrayal still weighing heavily on the hearts and minds of many of his captains and vice-captains, doing so would only heap distrust upon Ichigo. In the middle of a war, chaos within an organization was unacceptable. "Very well, I shall disregard this disturbance. Let us continue with the meeting." He nodded to his own vice-captain, Sasakibe Choujirou, who spread out a large map on the floor. The map, amazingly realistic and detailed, depicted a world that was completely desert, the landscape comprised almost entirely of sand dunes and the occasional stunted tree. It was dominated by a massive palace situated in the exact center. Ichigo couldn't see the scale of the map, but he instinctively knew that it was massive. He heard the sucking in of breaths around the room and knew that the other captains had figured out the same thing.

Sasakibe bowed respectfully and backed away, leaving Soi Fon to explain. "This map is of the hollow realm, Hueco Mundo," she said, tapping the map on the floor with her foot. "Our advance scouts have been observing the palace Las Noches, the seat of power of the self-proclaimed Hollow King Baraggan Louisenbairn. However, new intel suggests that Louisenbairn, one of the dozen-odd Vasto Lorde-class hollow in Hueco Mundo, has joined forces with Aizen. His own power, combined with the numerous amounts of regular hollow under his command, means that Aizen's army is larger and more dangerous than ever now."

Her vice-captain, Marechiyo Omaeda, asked around a mouthful of rice crackers, spraying crumbs all over the map to the disgust of many present, "Regular hollow have never posed a challenge to us powerful shinigami though, even if they are Adjuchas-classed. A vice-captain level fighter could take one out easily in a one-on-one fight."

Ichigo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "The problem isn't the hollow, but what Aizen can turn them into. By converting an Adjuchas-class hollow into an arrancar, it becomes more than a match for even captain-level fighters. However, the good news is that after doing extensive research on the Hougyoku, the RDI has come up with a temporary solution to the problem."

Here Urahara stepped forward for an explanation. "To create arrancar, the Hougyoku requires immense amounts of reiatsu. This means that Aizen will have to wait quite a while between creating arrancar. I estimate that this waiting period lasts about ten days. Although we have no way to reverse the process, we can severely set back Aizen's arrancar creation with a preemptive strike on his forces."

Ichigo resumed the talk. "It's basic military strategy. At a point where the enemy's forces are slowly building in strength but are still inferior to your own, you attack first. This is an opportunity that we cannot afford to give up if we are to win this war. As Sun Tzu once said in _The Art of War_, 'Opportunities multiply as they are seized.' If we can seize this opportunity and make proper use of it and gain an advantage, even more will arise."

Yamamoto nodded. "This is a good analysis of the current situation. Then we shall put it to a vote! All those in favor of a preemptive strike against Aizen's forces, in the heart of Las Noches in Hueco Mundo?"

The room resounded with a chorus of agreement. Yamamoto nodded in satisfaction, turning to Ichigo. "We are in agreement, then. Kurosaki-taicho, would you like to lead the task force that is to raid Las Noches? This will be a good opportunity to display your strength, since you have not done so since Aizen's betrayal."

Ichigo considered this offer. On the one hand, he was still recovering from the merging of the halves of his soul. There had already been visible side-effects from the merge, such as the changing of color of one eye to match the coloring of Shirosaki Satsujin, as well as behavioral ones. Ichigo had had to consciously suppress rather bloodthirsty comments that had come up when he mentioned a preemptive strike. He would have to try quite hard to get used to it. There was also the issue of learning to control the powers the merging had given him access to, like cero.

On the other hand, it would be good for the Gotei 13's morale to see their newest captain in action. Tales of his fight against Aizen had already spread like wildfire among the lower ranks, and many shinigami yearned to see his skill for themselves.

Ichigo nodded. "Thank you for this honor, Yamamoto-soutaicho. However, rather than a full-scale invasion like you seem to be suggesting, may I offer a suitable alternative? Because the overall goal of the strike is to take out key elements of Aizen's forces, that is, the very high level fighters, preferably the Espada, we need not be bothered by the lesser hollow. Therefore, I propose that the strike force be small, comprising of another captain along with myself, and several vice-captains. For a raid like this, any shinigami with strength lower than vice-captain level would be a mere hindrance to the combat effectiveness of the unit."

"A wise observation," Yamamoto said. "Very well. You may select one other captain to accompany you to Hueco Mundo, and five vice-captains. Is a force of seven acceptable for your calculations?"

Ichigo considered for a moment before nodding. "It is," he affirmed. Looking around at the assembled officers, he asked, "Is there a possibility that we could recall Hitsugaya-taicho from his special assignment in the world of the living for this mission?"

"That depends on your estimation on the duration of this raid," replied Yamamoto.

Ichigo looked at the map, running numbers and calculations through his mind. "I think that in order to cripple or at least severely damage Aizen's forces, with a good raiding party we would only need little over a week, a maximum of two weeks, to do so."

"Very well," Yamamoto said. "I shall recall Hitsugaya-taicho back from the world of the living to accompany your force to Hueco Mundo. Who are your other selections?"

Ichigo ignored the obvious disappointment clouding Zaraki Kenpachi's scarred visage. No doubt the blood-thirsty captain had wanted to go along with them, but Ichigo had intentionally left him out. Although Kenpachi would serve as a powerful addition to the team, his lack of subtlety would eliminate any advantage his vast power would give them. He looked around again at the vice-captains, running their strengths and weaknesses through his analytical mind. "As for the vice-captains, I would like Kuchiki-fukutaicho, Hinamori-fukutaicho, Kira-fukutaicho, Hisagi-fukutaicho, and Abarai-fukutaicho to accompany Hitsugaya-taicho and myself. Additionally, I would like the Quincy Ishida Uryu to join us as well."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Ukitake asked, concern etched on his face. "I have no objection to letting Ishida-kun go, but Hinamori-fukutaicho, Hisagi-taicho, and Kira-taicho are the highest-ranking officers in their divisions now that their captains have betrayed the Gotei 13. Is it wise to deprive the Third, Fifth, and Ninth divisions of their leadership once again?"

Ichigo nodded. "It is standard human psychology to begin to lose faith in one's superior after an event like Aizen, Gin, and Tousen's betrayal. I'm afraid that the division members may become suspicious of their commanding officers' loyalties. This way, the division members will regain their confidence in their leaders." He turned to look at the vice-captains in question. "Do any of you have any issue with coming with me on this mission?"

One by one, they solemnly shook their heads. Hisagi spoke up for all three of them. "Don't worry about us, Kurosaki-taicho. We've all had plenty of time to get used to the fact that our captains are traitors. I think I can safely speak for all of us when I say that if we have to face Gin, Tousen, or Aizen in battle, none of us will falter." Kira and Hinamori nodded, resolute expressions on their faces.

Ichigo smiled faintly. "Excellent. Then, with your permission, Yamamoto-soutaicho, the raiding party will leave three days after Hitsugaya-taicho returns from the world of the living."

Yamamoto nodded. "I will recall him immediately. Be prepared to depart within the end of the week. Dismissed!"

#

Ichigo looked at his smoking, burned palm and grimaced in pain. He still couldn't quite get the hang of using cero: much like Renji trying to use kidou, it tended to explode before he could fire it. He suspected that the reason was because his soul was still accustomed to using shinigami powers and not hollow powers, and was instinctively trying to reject his use of his hollow powers. Eventually, after much discussion with Urahara, who was the only one he could trust with such matters, as well as the only person who had even close to the understanding of the technical aspects, the two decided that the only way to get his soul to get used to using hollow powers was to simply keep practicing them.

With a snap of his fingers, a number of wooden dummy targets appeared out of the floor of the underground foundry. Ichigo took a deep breath and decided not to use cero for now. It would be too costly and expensive to fix the underground room every time a cero exploded. He clenched a hand into a fist, gathering his reiatsu and focusing it on the fist. The signature blue of his reiatsu was now leaning more towards purple, the influence of his hollow powers obvious. Ichigo exhaled slowly, forcing himself to maintain control over the flaring ball of reiatsu at his fist.

With an explosive breath, Ichigo punched, releasing the ball of reiatsu at the largest dummy, several dozen meters away. The ball of reiatsu boomed as it broke the sound barrier mere moments after it was released, speeding through the air at supersonic speeds. In milliseconds, the purple ball of reiatsu smashed into the dummy, splintering it into thousands of wooden shards that spun and flew every which way through the air, stabbing into the ground, the walls, and the other dummies. Ichigo was impressed at the speed and distance the shards flew, several larger ones reaching even him and being deflected by his shield of hardened reiatsu.

His fist was slightly scorched and smoking, but it definitely was not as bad as it was with cero. Ichigo decided that using bala would be much more preferable to cero at this point in time. He held his uninjured hand over the burned one, quickly healing the burns with kidou. He looked around at the remaining wooden dummies, and decided that he had practiced enough with his newly gained hollow powers. He would take care of the rest of the dummies with good, old-fashioned hand-to-hand and swordsmanship.

Ichigo walked to the bench where he had laid his sheathed zanpakutou. Picking it up, he strapped it to his back. Steeling himself for the sudden burst of exertion and energy, Ichigo began moving, jumping between dummies and destroying them with quick and powerful jabs and kicks, or short clean slashes with his blade.

Alternating between flash-step and _sonido_, the hollow equivalent or the shinigami flash-step, Ichigo finished with by whipping his blade in a blindingly fast sequence of slashes, splitting the final dummy into a dozen odd different pieces, the chunks falling to the ground in small puffs of dust.

Clapping echoed through the chamber, and Ichigo turned to see the familiar figure of his vice-captain picking his way through the debris, pushing the odd splinter of wood out of his path with his cane. "Bravo, Kurosaki-taicho," the former shopkeeper said cheerily. "A very impressive display of your newly gained powers. Any progress using cero?"

Ichigo grimaced in annoyance and exasperation. "Nothing worth mentioning," he said. "It still tends to explode more often than not. I've decided that if I'm going to ever use my hollow powers in our little excursion into Hueco Mundo, I'm gonna stick with bala. _If_ I ever use them," he emphasized. "The color of my reiatsu is already getting affected by the merging, and I already confirmed that my Getsuga Tenshou is black now, even in shikai, because of my new hollow reiatsu. I don't think that the shinigami are ready to accept that I'm part hollow just yet. Although if things go badly, I may not have a choice."

Urahara nodded solemnly. "Yama-jii really put you into a pickle this time, didn't he?"

Ichigo ran his finger through his bright orange hair agitatedly. "I didn't really have a choice. If I backed down, my reputation as a captain would be shot. People would all call me a coward. I couldn't _not _accept." He stopped pacing and walked over to the stainless steel table, where an array of experimental kidou-based weaponry, which he and Urahara had been perfecting over the last few weeks prior to Ichigo's merging with his inner hollow. He picked up his own modified Colt M1911 and a couple extra magazines, strapping the holster to his hip so that the black matte grip hung within comfortable reach of his hand.

Something on the table caught his eye, and Ichigo walked over to the item. A shiny assault rifle gleamed up at him, the artificial light of the underground room reflecting off the stamped steel. Ichigo wrapped his fingers around the grip of the rifle, hefting it in one hand. With a few deft movements, he loaded a magazine into the receiver of the G36 KG, a scaled-down version of the original G36 made by the German company Heckler and Koch. The gun smaller than the original, but still larger than the compact MP7 submachine gun that H&K had created based off the G36 platform.

Urahara whistled. "Man, you sure have quite an extensive knowledge of human weaponry, don't you, Kurosaki-taicho?" he asked.

Ichigo smirked smugly. "One of the first things I thought of when Rukia told me about how shinigami fight was how dependent they were on swords and melee combat in general. I know that some shinigami have ranged attacks when they release their zanpakutou, like my Getsuga Tenshou, and kidou is an effective ranged attack, but what about those shinigami who have a purely melee-form zanpakutou, or lack the ability to use kidou effectively? They lose any ranged advantage in a fight." He paused for a bit, looking a bit bemused at the thought that had just occurred to them. "Also, using swords is so old-fashioned." He continued more seriously. "Anyway, in terms of pure strategic practicality, these kidou guns give shinigami a huge edge when they can strike first and from afar in a fight. Of course, they'll never replace a shinigami's zanpakutou, and anyone who thinks that a kidou gun is capable of doing so is a complete and utter moron. But I think that eventually, they could become a valuable part of a regular shinigami's equipment. But that doesn't mean that the importance of kidou experts like Momo and Rukia is going to dwindle. In fact, I think they could both chain together low-powered _shakkahou_ spells like those fired by the guns just as fast, if not faster, than the guns could fire."

Urahara grinned as Ichigo removed the magazine from the receiver of the gun and placed it back on the table, setting the gun itself down on the black cloth it had been sitting on gently. "You really don't do anything in half measures, do you?" he asked amusedly. "You started a war with a traitor, became the youngest ever captain of the Gotei 13, and now you're revolutionizing the way shinigami fight."

Ichigo laughed softly. "That's nothing. Remind me sometime to tell you about the time I visited the Kuchiki elders."

#

Ishida Uryu grimaced as he sent a glowing reishi arrow punching through the mask of another low-level hollow in Karakura Town. He looked down at his new bow, which was primarily composed of reishi particles, but had a converter made of metal as its grip. Ichigo had personally designed the converter to allow Ishida to purify hollows while still using his preferred Quincy method of fighting. Ishida didn't know the technicalities behind the device, but he knew that Ichigo had created it, and that was good enough for him.

Something tickled the edge of his senses, and Ishida frowned. What business would a shinigami have her in Karakura? He and Chad could take care of hollows just fine without them. He used _hirenkyaku_, the Quincy equivalent of flash-step, to investigate the source of the feeling that he knew was a senkai gate opening. He arrived at an abandoned parking lot just in time to see the glowing set of doors slide shut.

Ishida narrowed his eyes at the figure standing before him. "What are _you_ doing here?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, come on now, Uryu," the figure chuckled, his captain's haori blowing in the slight breeze. "Can't I just visit some good friends?"

"It's not that I don't want you to visit, Ichigo," Ishida sighed, "but it's a bit weird that you're here, no offense. What business would a shinigami captain have in the world of the living?"

Ichigo grinned. "Actually, you're completely correct in your suspicions. Tell me, is Chad capable of taking care of the hollows on his own?"

Ishida thought a bit, then nodded. "I think he can. The constant fighting with hollows is causing his strength and speed to increase. He's much stronger than he was when we went to Soul Society. He's even got some sort of movement technique down. It's similar to flash-step and _hirenkyaku_, but it's not either one of them."

Ichigo nodded. "Sonido, the hollow version. I thought as much. I thought that Chad's powers seemed to be more hollowish in nature, and this confirms my theory. That's good to hear. I need you on a mission."

Ishida raised his eyebrow. "A mission?" he asked. "What is Soul Society doing that they would need the help of a Quincy?"

"We're invading Hueco Mundo," Ichigo said without preamble.

"…You've got to be joking," Ishida said after a long pause. "You're _invading _Hueco Mundo? As in a full-scale invasion?"

"No, no," Ichigo said hurriedly. "You misunderstood me, or maybe I didn't phrase it properly. I suppose a better way to put it would be that we're _raiding_ Hueco Mundo. It's going to be a small party: myself and another captain, and several vice-captains. I would like you to come with us, as you would be a valuable addition to our group."

"What about Chad?" Ishida asked. "He's your friend, and he's had your back for years. Why aren't you bringing him?"

Ichigo replied, "Chad is a good friend, and it's true that we've fought together for years. But I need him to stay behind to protect my family, since I'm unable to. I know that my father is an ex-shinigami, but he's still regaining his own powers after they were absorbed by Urahara's gigai. He can't protect Karin and Yuzu himself, and so I need Chad to. He'll understand, I know he will."

Ishida nodded. "Alright, I'll come with you. When do we leave?"

"We're still waiting for Toushiro to come back from his mission in the world of the living, but that should only take a few more days. We leave a day after he returns, to give him time to prepare. I'll come pick you up when he comes back, so you'll spend a day in Soul Society. Is that okay with you?"

Ishida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Very well. It'll be good to fight alongside you again, Ichigo."

"Likewise."

#

Izuru Kira looked moodily at the hell butterfly slowly fluttering its wings on his fingertip, having just received its message and tried to get a grip on the emotions swirling inside of him. He knew that his division had recently begun to have concerns about his mental stability. Even before Gin's betrayal, he had been moody and quiet, but after the betrayal Kira had withdrawn even further into his shell.

_Ichimaru-taicho… why did you do it? _Kira wondered to himself. With a start, he realized that he had just thought of Gin as his captain still. _What would happen if I had to fight you? Would I even be able to raise my sword against you? _

#

Hisagi Shuuhei clenched his hand as he stared into the mirror. _Tousen-taicho… What happened to you? What happened to the Kaname Tousen that I knew, who would fight endlessly for justice? What happened to the Kaname Tousen who once told me to never fight without fear behind my sword? What happened to the Kaname Tousen who became a shinigami for the one he loved?_

At that moment in time, Hisagi made a decision. _I will go with Kurosaki-taicho on this mission. And I will fight you if I have to, Kaname Tousen, if only to get you to reveal the truth behind your actions and betrayal. And I will fight you for you to understand that what you are doing is wrong!_

#

Hinamori Momo wiped sweat from her forehead as she gasped for breath in exertion, having pushed herself to her limit in her training. She listened to the hell butterfly's message while she splashed water over her face to cool herself down. _This is it,_ she thought, a shiver of excitement running through her. _This is what I've been training for. All my hard work, my sweat and blood, has been for this mission. I will NOT fail. People still doubt my loyalty. This is my chance to prove to everyone that I'm not weak. _Wiping away the water with a towel, she wrapped her hands around the grip of her blade and leapt into action again.

#

Abarai Renji looked up from polishing the silver revolver at the fluttering hell butterfly, frowning at the message it had just delivered. _A mission into Hueco Mundo?_ he thought skeptically. _Is that really smart? I know that Kurosaki-taicho is a genius, but… something like this… _He shook his head to dispel his doubts. _Kuchiki-taicho trusts him, that's all that matters. Alright! I'll go on this mission to get stronger! I WILL surpass you, Kuchiki-taicho!_

#

In the world of the living, Hitsugaya Toushiro listened intently to the hell butterfly. Sighing in resignation, he turned and began packing his things. It didn't sit well with him to abandon the humans to the clutches of a powerful hollow, especially one that could potentially join Aizen, but this mission took priority. He knew that there would be a substitute assigned to Yomiyama Town, and he just hoped that Sakakibara and Misaki would understand. Toushiro walked out of the house after writing a long message to his two human friends explaining the situation, and took a deep breath. He drew his blade, twisting it in the air. "Unlock." The glowing set of senkai doors opened in the abandoned lot behind his house, and he stepped through without a backward look. The doors slid shut behind him, leaving a feeling of emptiness that lingered in the air long after he was gone.

#

Ichigo took a deep breath and began meditating. This was another exercise that he and Urahara had come up with to help his soul accept the hollow powers. He was running out of time before he had to explain completely what had happened to him to the captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13. He had to hurry and adapt to his new powers as soon as he could. He had no doubt that his new personality would eventually surface during the mission, and he wanted to postpone that time for as long as possible. He closed his eyes and the world fell away as he mentally prepared himself for the upcoming battle.

#

So I completely forgot to tell you all that I was going to be away for a week and a half at a music camp without computer access the last time I updated. I'm so sorry! So here's a chapter in apology! In addition, I'm going to be in California starting tomorrow for about a week. However, in that period of time I **will** have computer access (and hopefully internet access, I don't know if my cousin's house has wifi), so you should be able to expect an update on schedule. Additionally, I am officially discontinuing the parallel story to this one, _The Color of Death_. I feel like I've just lost inspiration for that story. However, fear not! _When Genius Meets Death_ will _**NOT**_ be discontinued. I will keep writing this story as usual. So again, sorry for not letting you guys know about my period of not updating. Also, let's see if we can hit 500 reviews this chapter? That would be quite nice. Thanks for reading, and drop a review please!

~fokker333


	26. Chapter 23

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. This chapter may contain material that is not suitable for younger readers. Please read at your own discretion.

#

Ichigo gazed at his assembled groups of fighters as they stood before the main senkai gate in the Seireitei: Toushiro, his teal eyes cold and serious as he prepared himself for the mission ahead; Rukia, tapping her foot in nervous excitement; Hisagi, stroking the hilt of his sheathed blade absentmindedly as he looked pensively at the gate; Kira, his expression serious and seemingly a little moody as the eye uncovered by his hair flicked around to examine his comrades; Momo, also looking excited and a little apprehensive at the monumental task that faced them; Renji, fingering a pair of ginto cartridges like worry beads in his palm; Ishida, dressed in his traditional Quincy garb, the light reflecting off his glasses as he undoubtedly prepared himself mentally steeled himself for battle. Ichigo smiled inwardly. He knew the strengths of Rukia and Ishida, and Momo to a certain extent, but he had yet to see Toushiro's full power, as well as the capabilities of the other vice-captains.

A clock somewhere struck noon, and Ichigo coughed softly, causing his squad of fighters to stop their own fidgeting and divert their full attention to him, the mission leader. He began speaking. "As you know from your briefing, Aizen has made his headquarters in the Las Noches palace, the seat of self-proclaimed hollow king Baraggan Louisenbairn. Our mission is to infiltrate Las Noches and assassinate the most powerful of Aizen's army. The strongest of Aizen's arrancar are called the Espada, and they are numbered one through ten, with ten being the weakest and one being strongest. Do not underestimate the higher-numbered Espada, however. Even these are capable of matching a vice-captain in battle. The Sixth Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjacques, and the Fourth Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer, are the only two known Espada as of now, but when I fought the Sixth Espada, he matched my own strength in Shikai without releasing his own zanpakutou."

This brought muffled gasps and whispers from the raiding party, but they quickly died down. Ichigo waited for silence, then continued once more. "Therefore, I must impress upon you fully the importance of taking each and every battle with all seriousness and to use your full strength. If you do not, you will not prevail. Is everyone clear on our duties?" Simultaneously, the team nodded in affirmative. "Very well. Let us depart!"

Behind him, the main senkai gate slowly slid open, revealing the gaping mouth of the Dangai, the Precipice World. Turning, Ichigo took the lead into the Dangai, with Toushiro bringing up the rear of the team. As their sandal-clad feet hit the ground of the Dangai, Ichigo silently prayed that the Cleaner would not be making a run this time. If it did, he would be the unluckiest shinigami in history if his every single run through the Dangai had to be spent fleeing from the Cleaner.

Unfortunately, his prayer was left unanswered. Ichigo swore loudly as the familiar glowing light of the Cleaner, along with its signature howling, drew closer to them from behind, rapidly closing the gap between it and Toushiro, who was last in their group. "Let's pick up the pace!" In unison, the strike force leapt into action, flash-stepping their way through the Dangai and away from the now quickly fading Cleaner.

A light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and Ichigo inwardly laughed at the irony of the situation. Humans spoke of death as though it were like traveling through a tunnel, and the light at the end was heaven. And yet here they were, travelling through a tunnel from the dead, towards a light that was a mockery of life. And then they were out, landing lightly on their feet, small puffs of sand as their sandals hit the dunes below them. In the distance, they could make out the looking shape of the palace of Las Noches, dark and foreboding. As one, the raiding party began making their way towards the fortress, flash-stepping in unison.

#

Ichigo growled as he slashed his way through yet another of the seemingly unending waves of the Exequias, the defense of Las Noches. The individual hollows were weak and of little consequence; the problem was their overwhelming numbers. And they had almost certainly lost the element of surprise by now. Undoubtedly the defenses within the palace itself had activated in the time the raiding party had spent caught up in battle against the Exequias. Ichigo looked around to see how the rest of the party was faring.

Ice coated the walls of Las Noches as Toushiro spun and slashed, Hyourinmaru released in its shikai form. Swiping through the air with his sword, his blade carved an arc of ice in the air, sending a quartet of ice dragons roaring through the ranks of the Exequias, freezing dozens and shattering them into dust.

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" With a shout, Rukia tore her way through four hollows, her pure white blade freezing them where she stabbed them. When she reached a clearing in the mass of hollows, she took a moment to catch her breath. Freeing her left hand, she held it out, palm up. "Third dance, _Shirafune!_" The ice copy of her released zanpakutou materialized in it, the particles appearing out of thin air to form the shape of her blade. Holding both blades horizontally before her, she leapt back into action, spinning and slashing, a deadly whirlwind of ice smashing her way through the ranks of hollow.

Hisagi was silent as he cut yet another hollow in half horizontally, his spinning scythe-like blade whirling through the air back towards him, dismembering another three before he caught the handle. The chain rattled as he prepared to throw the other scythe in his other hand. Blocking a slash from a hollow, sparks flew as the hollow's katana clashed against the steel of his scythe. Flinging his hand out with the free scythe, he released and it spun through the air, the chain it was connected to wrapping itself around another hollow, snapping its neck as the deadly blades sliced their way through several more.

Momo had forgone the use of her zanpakutou in favor of using kidou. Wordlessly, she was chaining dozen after dozen of medium-powered _shakkahou_ spells, the red orbs of energy exploding from her hand at the speed of a machine gun. She was rewarded with explosions as each and every one of the spells connected with an enemy, blowing them into oblivion. The buzz of sonido heralded the assault of a trio of hollows, swinging their blades at her neck from three different directions. "Enkosen!" Not one, but three glowing white shields appeared around her body, deflecting the strikes with ease. Without pause in her chaining from one hand, Momo brought her free hand around, shooting a trio of _byakurai_ spells, piercing the masks of the three attacking hollow, disintegrating them into dust. She didn't even pause as she continued once again to chain together spells, this time progressing to _soukatsui_, the blue fire roaring from her palms in her almost continuous stream as it incinerated hollow after hollow.

Kira took a different approach to the massive battle. Rather than going for the kills, he flashed his way around the battlefield, his blade released in its shikai state. Not aiming at the vital spots of the surrounding hollow with the square hook-shaped blade, he instead slashed at their blades. His zanpakutou was a blur and sparks flew as he struck the blades of the unending horde of Exequias thrice each before flashing to his next target, leaving his opponents in his wake struggling to lift their blades, which had now grown heavier eightfold after their weights were doubled thrice by the special ability of Kira's shikai.

With a skillful flick of the wrist, Renji directed his whip-like blade through the air, slashing through the hollows that Kira had left with their blades stuck in the sand. Steel rubbed against leather as he pulled the shiny revolver from its holster, holding it in his free hand. He had trained extensively with the large-framed revolver until he could fire one-handed without being caught off-guard by the recoil. In a flash, he snapped off two shots, the first _shakkahou_ tearing through a hollow that was advancing from his blind spot, the second, a yellow flash of _okasen_ incinerating half a dozen odd Exequias, before he resumed slashing his way through the immobilized hollows.

Blue flashed through the air as Ishida released dozens after dozens of bolts of energy through the air, reducing hollows to dust left and right. He could feel the spiritron converter in the grip of his bow humming as it pumped shinigami energy into the conglomeration of reishi that made up his bow. Ishida knew that as he gathered reishi from the air that shinigami energy inserted itself into the arrows, causing the hollows to be purified rather than destroyed like normal Quincy arrows would. Ishida knew that it was against his values as a Quincy to utilize such an artifact, but he also knew that the complete and utter destruction of a soul was unacceptable. Thousands of years of Quincy ideals were wrong, and Ishida simply couldn't condone it. He used hirenkyaku to dodge another hollow who charged him, appearing in the air standing on a platform of solidified reishi, raining thousands of arrows down at the masses of Exequias.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" The members of the team turned their heads to look at Ichigo, who slashed through the air with his broad cleaver. Rukia was surprised but not shocked at the color of the attack, which was now purple rather than the usual light blue.

"Ichigo, what-" Toushiro was cut off by Ichigo buzzing away. "That wasn't flash-step. And the color of his Getsuga Tenshou's changed. What happened to him?" Rukia, the only other one who had any idea of Ichigo's current situation, only shook her head. Ichigo would have a lot of explaining to do after this was all over.

Ichigo was getting tired of fighting futilely through the never-ending waves of identical hollow. _No hollow are completely identical_, he thought. _They can't all be individual hollows. They must be clones of something. Something has to be creating and controlling them, like a hive-mind of sorts. _Looking around through the mass of Exequias, he spotted one whose mask was different from all the others. While the normal Exequias had masks shaped like skulls, this one had horns protruding from his helmet-like mask. Buzzing up to it in his combination of flash-step and sonido, he confronted what appeared to be the leader of the Exequias.

"So, you've finally figured it out, shinigami. The Exequias are mere extensions of myself. They are a product of my resurrecion. My name is Ruddborn-"

"I don't care," Ichigo interrupted, and with a single slash lopped off the hollow's head. Instantly, as the lead hollow disintegrated into spirit particles, so did the entire horde of Exequias.

Rukia paused in mid spin as her she no longer felt resistance meeting her twin blades whirling through the air. Toushiro too stopped sending ice dragons through the air, and Hisagi caught his spinning scythe. Momo stopped chaining together kidou spells, Kira paused in his flash-step, and Renji retracted his blades, taking the opportunity to eject the spent cartridges from the chamber of his revolver and load in new ones, while Ishida ceased his barrage of arrows. The team gathered together around Ichigo, who had resealed his zanpakutou and sheathed it on his back.

Ichigo grumbled, "Well, there goes any element of surprise we ever had. This complicates our mission a ton. But we're already too far in, we can't back out now. At this rate, I anticipate that we'll be seeing some Espada popping up real soon. I'm guessing that any intruder that's capable of taking out the Exequias probably merits investigation by an Espada. Everyone has to be on their guard from now on. Our cover's already been blown, and we just can't afford to take losses this early on in the mission. This is my first time leading a mission as a captain of the Gotei 13, and I want my first mission to be flawless. Unfortunately, with a mission this difficult, it's gonna be almost impossible to pull it off with zero casualties. Then again," Ichigo grinned cockily, "With me, impossible is nothing."

Renji snorted incredulously, and Ichigo was at his side in an instant, unconsciously using his hybrid movement technique. Renji froze as Ichigo said, "Now, now, Abarai-fukutaicho, could it be that you're doubting my ability to lead?"

That was exactly what Renji was thinking, but there was no way he was going to admit that. That would be straight up insubordination, and he could lose his badge for that, or at the very least he would be subjected to an investigation and get put on probation. Stiffly, he said, "No, sir."

Ichigo nodded in satisfaction and turned away from the now glaring red-haired vice-captain. Before he could continue leading the team further into Las Noches, however, he was confronted by Toushiro, who glared at the orange-haired genius. "Ichigo," he said, causing said captain to stop. "What's going on?"

Ichigo knew exactly what was going on, but he feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Toushiro," he said innocently.

"Don't play stupid with me, Ichigo," Toushiro said, his hands clenching slightly, although he made no move to draw his zanpakutou. Inwardly Ichigo groaned. He had hoped that a confrontation wouldn't come until after the mission, but alas, it wasn't to be so. Toushiro wanted answers, and Ichigo knew the white-haired prodigy well enough that he knew that when he wanted answers, he wouldn't stop until he got them. Toushiro continued, "Something's changed with your reiatsu. During the fight, when you used your Getsuga Tenshou, the color changed. It wasn't blue anymore, it was purple. Also, your movement is different now. What you used wasn't flash-step, was it?" It was a rhetorical question.

Ichigo sighed. "No, it wasn't flash-step. And yes, my reiatsu changed." He took a deep breath. "Listen, and listen well, since I'm only going to say this once. And please, don't let this information affect the way this mission goes. All things aside, I still don't want to lose anyone here."

All the gathered team members crowded closer to hear Ichigo's explanation. "Do you remember the day Aizen, Gin, and Tousen betrayed the Soul Society?" The vice-captains winced. It was still a bit of a sore topic for them. "You were all in combat at the time, so you didn't see what happened. In my duel with Aizen, after I was… incapacitated, he injected me with a solution from a syringe. For a while, nothing happened. But after a few weeks, I was forced into my inner world by something. You remember that time, don't you, Renji," he said. "And you, Toushiro. You were both there. That was the time we were testing out the gun I gave to Byakuya. It turns out that the stuff Aizen shot into me was a solution that awoke the hollow half of my soul. The technical aspects are long and hard to understand without proper background knowledge, so I'll skip over them for now. At any rate, I was left with both shinigami and hollow halves of my soul awakened, with my shinigami half being the dominant one. A few weeks before this mission was issued, I was once again forced into my inner world to again fight with my hollow. This time, instead of rejecting my hollow, whose name is Shirosaki Satsujin, by the way, I merged the shinigami and hollow halves of my soul."

The whole team, barring Rukia of course, was stunned into silence. It was Hisagi who finally broke the silence. "So you're both a shinigami and a hollow at the same time." It was not a question.

Ichigo considered the statement for a moment. "…Not exactly," he said. "Technically, I am now neither shinigami nor hollow. I am the ultimate hybrid. I am able to utilize both shinigami and hollow abilities, but I am something completely new."

"…So basically you aren't a shinigami anymore," said Renji, now looking slightly defiant.

"That is correct," Ichigo affirmed, nodding his head. He knew that the red-headed vice-captain was about to say something foolish and brash, and sure enough, he wasn't disappointed.

"Then tell me why we should follow you. I'm a shinigami, why should I take orders from someone who isn't a shinigami?"

Ichigo laughed out loud at this question, taking Renji aback. The pineapple glared at him angrily, ignoring his fellow vice-captains' mutters for him to shut up. Toushiro only closed his eyes. Ichigo had to deal with this insubordination on his own, as well as show the team that he was still a worthy leader. The white-haired prodigy himself would continue to follow Ichigo, even if he and the genius weren't good friends.

"By all means, Abarai-fukutaicho. You may certainly leave the group. Good luck surviving Hueco Mundo with its security on full alert. I'm sure you'll do _so_ well on your own without taking the orders of someone who isn't a shinigami, even if said person is a genius and quite possibly the only one in this dimension who could get you through the upcoming fights alive and back home to Soul Society. Be my guest," Ichigo said sarcastically. He was tiring of this verbal sparring and open insubordination.

Renji scoffed but said nothing. Ichigo nodded, smirking. "I thought so," he snarked, causing Renji to bristle in anger. Before the hot-headed vice-captain could retort, he turned and walked away from the group towards the palace, causing Rukia, Ishida, and Toushiro to immediately follow, leaving the rest of the vice-captains to bring up the rear.

Toushiro noted to himself in slight concern that during Ichigo's argument with Renji, something had fallen out of his left eye, and his eye color had changed from its usual warm amber to an angry gold, his sclera swirling black. Hurrying to catch up with the irritated captain, he tried to catch his attention. "Ichigo."

Ichigo didn't turn his head but still acknowledged the white-haired prodigy. "Toushiro. What is it?" he asked.

Toushiro could tell that his friend was still tense. His voice was tight and his body was coiled like a spring, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. He knew that this was his hollow personality affecting his behavior. "Your colored contact lens fell out," he said quietly. "You're left eye has changed color."

Ichigo shrugged. "Whatever. They know now anyways, so it doesn't really matter." There was a pause as the group continued to walk, with Rukia and Ishida catching up to the two captains, leaving the rest of the vice-captains following a few meters behind. "What do you guys think?" Ichigo suddenly asked, somewhat surprising his friends at the abrupt question. "I'm part hollow now. Don't you have any complaints, worries, anything?"

His three friends were quiet as they considered their answers to this question. Toushiro was the first to speak up. "Honestly, something like this can't be kept from the Gotei 13 and the rest of the captains, and you know that, Ichigo. Without a doubt Abarai or one of the other vice-captains will report it once this mission is over. But I'm not going to stand aside and watch you get arrested and possibly executed for what Aizen has done. You haven't hurt anybody, and technically you're not an actual hollow, just something between hollow and shinigami. For now, I don't have any problems with you. But you need to keep control of your temper," the short captain cautioned. "If you lose control, we don't know what your hollow personality could do, and how much harm and destruction you could cause accidentally."

Ishida nodded in agreement at Toushiro's words. "That's right," he said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Although it's against my nature and pride as a Quincy to associate with a hollow, or something with hollow-like reiatsu, I _am_ the last of the Quincy. Nobody is going to judge me for what I do or who I associate myself with. There are none left of my kind to do that, after all," he said with a slightly bitter smirk. "Beside, like Hitsugaya-taicho said, you're my friend, my comrade-in-arms. It's definitely against my nature to turn my back on my comrades, and that is one rule that I'm not going to violate, ever."

Rukia was last to speak. "If you truly think that after all we've been through, all the battles we've fought together, every hardship we've suffered, that I would turn my back on you just because you've changed a bit, you're not as smart as you claim you are," she said with a smirk. "Even if you do have hollowish reiatsu, even if your personality is a little bit different, even if you are a bit brasher than before, you're still the same Strawberry that I grew to know and love. Nothing's going to change that fact, and nothing's going to change the fact that I love you and that I'll stand by you, no matter what," she said with an affectionate smack to his head.

"Thanks, guys," Ichigo said quietly, rubbing his head from Rukia's hit. "That means a lot to me."

"Wipe that self-pitying look off your face, Ichigo," scoffed Toushiro. "You've already heard what we think about it, so stop worrying. You'll be fine."

Ichigo nodded, turning back to stare at the looming palace with determination in his eyes. "Alright. This is it. I swore to myself that I would complete this mission with no casualties, and that's exactly what's going to happen. Now let's go!" He broke into a run, headed towards the entrance of the massive building, and the rest of the team followed.

#

Momo stared at the place that they had found themselves in upon entering the palace. The sky,_ no, the ceiling,_ she reminded herself, was, strangely enough, strikingly different from the gloomy grey of the outside. Instead, there seemed to be an artificial sun hanging from the ceiling, with white fluffy clouds scudding across a light blue, an exact replica of the living world. "This is…" she breathed, unable to fathom this bizarreness.

"This is exactly the same as Urahara's basement," Ichigo said with a smirk, looking at Ishida, who nodded in confirmation. "Now, the question is, where can we find the living quarters of the Espada?"

"Now, what would a bunch of shinigami want with the Espada?" drawled a familiar laconic voice, causing the assembled group to whip around, searching for the source of the voice.

"Don't bother," said Ichigo, not turning his head. "It's coming from a speaker." He raised his voice to address the speaker. "What do you want with us, Ichimaru Gin?" The voice drew various reactions from the team, with Kira's visibly tensing being the most obvious.

"Now, now," teased Gin's voice, "What made you jump to the conclusion that I want something from you?"

"Why else would you contact us like this?" asked Ichigo.

"Oh, I don't know." The team could almost hear the smirk on the traitor's face. "I could be talking to you to stall for time while you're surrounded by the Espada. But then again, I could just be doing it because I wanted to talk to you. Who knows?"

"Obviously, you do," Ichigo said, "So what is it that you want with us?"

"You want to know where the Espada are? I'll tell you," Gin said.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at this. He had not been expecting such a development. "And why would Aizen's trusted right-hand man want to tell the locations of his strongest soldiers to a strike force that was sent with the specific mission to take them out? Besides, doesn't Aizen know that you're talking to us right now?"

"I designed this speaker system myself," Gin said. "I have full control over who hears what and who doesn't hear what. It's a virtually foolproof system. There's no way Aizen can hear what we're saying here. As for your other question, let's just say that I have my… own agenda, so to speak. That is, I have my own plans, and they don't exactly match up with our beloved Aizen's."

"You called him Aizen," Ichigo noted suddenly, "Not Aizen-taicho like you used to. Does this mean that you've defected?"

Gin tsked. "Now, that would be telling," he scolded. "And I certainly can't do that. Anyways, the Espada are as follows: Tenth, Yammy Rialgo. Ninth, Arroniero Arruierre. Eighth, Szayl-apporo Grantz. Seventh, Zommari Lereux. Sixth, Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. Fifth, Nnoitra Gilga. Fourth, Ulquiorra Schiffer. Third, Tia Harribel. Second, Baraggan Louisenbairn. First, Coyote Starrk. With the force you have here, I wouldn't try fighting the top three. Momo-chan, Hisagi-kun, and Kira-kun would have the most chance if they gang up against Zommari. Beware his resurrecion, though. He has the ability to take control of your body and turn it against you. As for dear Rukia-chan, I believe Arroniero has a little something for you. You might also find closure by defeating him. Abarai-kun, and the Quincy, your abilities would be most suited for fighting Szayl-apporo. He's a scientist, and he's also experimented on his fair share of Quincy. Do us all a favor and kill him permanently. Shiro-chan, you should seek out and fight Yammy, since the others would be too strong for you. And finally, Kurosaki-taicho. I believe that you've met Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Your abilities are well-matched with theirs. If you can defeat them, it would cripple Aizen's forces quite a bit."

The team was stunned at the amount of information Gin had just fed them. Evidently, the traitor captain had just turned traitor once again. Ichigo spoke up after a while. "And what will you do, Gin? Are you going to continue to hide under Aizen's shadow, pretending to be his loyal servant? He will figure the truth eventually, and I think that even you know that his punishment will not be… pleasant." He took Gin's silence to be agreement and continued. "You know, we can offer you sanctuary." He heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him as Kira heard his words. "As a captain of the Gotei 13, I can offer you protection, on the condition that you provide solid proof that you've truly turned against Aizen and any and all information you have regarding Aizen's plans." Gin was still silent. "Consider my offer, Ichimaru Gin, and get back to me on it."

#

This chapter brought to you from a five hour flight from San Francisco International Airport to some other, unspecified international airport half-way across the country. I hope you enjoyed the new development that I threw in there! Hopefully I'm not moving too fast, am I? If you think so, please review and let me know your opinion, and I'll try to take it into account when I write.

Also, what happened to my 500 reviews? Already a week since my last update and my review count for my last chapter seems to stagnate at a little over ten... have people started school already? Maybe that's why? Oh well, we'll hit 500 this chapter for sure, right? Drop a review and help me out!

~fokker333


	27. Chapter 24

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN BLEACH. This chapter may contain material that is not suitable for younger readers. Please read at your own discretion.

#

Ichigo sped his way through the maze-like corridors of Las Noches, suppressing his reiatsu as much as possible and trying to be stealthy. He had decided, after much deliberation, to trust the information that Gin had provided him. Although a certain pineapple-headed vice-captain had been quite vocal about not trusting the 'traitorous scum', in the end Ichigo had managed to convince all the members of the raiding party to follow the analysis of the captain-turned-traitor-apparently-turned-traitor. They had split up, heading towards where their opponents would be found. Ichigo would be targeting the blue-haired Espada that he had encountered in the world of the living, Grimmjow Jaegerjacques, while Momo, Hisagi, and Kira heading off to Zommari's lair, Toushiro to face Yammy, and Rukia to Arroniero's tower.

Ichigo didn't doubt the shinigami under his command's power, but it didn't stop him from worrying about their safety. He had made a commitment to finish this mission with zero casualties, and a promise long ago to protect everyone he could. But in this situation, in order to successfully complete the mission, they had to split up, and Ichigo could do nothing to assist in the other fights until he was done with his own. And with him being the most powerful member of the raiding party, he would have the hardest fight of all.

Ichigo skidded to a halt in a large antechamber, which practically reeked with the Espada's reiatsu. He looked around warily, reaching out with his senses for Grimmjow's fresh reiatsu, which would indicate the Espada's presence. There was none. Ichigo cursed under his breath. It seemed that Murphy's Law was rearing its ugly head once again.

Ichigo hunkered down behind a rock and cast a kidou to mask his presence, suppressing his reiatsu as hard as he could. It was now only a matter of waiting: an assassination just waiting to be carried out. As he settled down to wait for his target to arrive, he began wondering how the other members of the raiding party were doing.

#

Rukia stared at the tall Espada standing before her, a long white mask covering its face. Clad in the standard clothes of Aizen's most powerful soldiers, this would be a formidable opponent indeed. She instinctively reached for the hilt of her blade when the Espada raised his hand, but paused when she realized that the movement was not threatening, but rather beckoning.

Her eyes narrowed. "As if I'm going to let you choose the battleground, Espada," she spat, drawing her blade. "I'm going to end this right here and now." She flashed forward, her blade held at the ready, striking at the Espada's unprotected chest.

She stared, eyes widening in shock, as her blade penetrated the white robes and passed through the Espada's back, but not feeling any resistance at all. "Shit!" she cried, as the Espada's hand shot up, grabbing her wrist and locking her arm and blade in place. Before she could try to break free, the Espada sonido'd, taking her with him.

She coughed from the unfamiliar feeling of sonido. Looking around, she found herself in a dark tower, the tall Espada standing before her. "You may be wondering why I brought you here, as well as why I'm not fighting you. You're about to find out."

Her hand tightened on the hilt of her zanpakutou as the Espada's white-gloved hand reached to his face, gripping the sides of the oval-shaped tall bone-like mask covering his face. Her body went limp as he took away the mask, revealing a face that she hadn't seen in years. Shock coursed through her entire body as she struggled to comprehend the possibility of this happening. Her hand relaxed from her blade, and utter astonishment showed on her face. "Impossible…"

"Yo, Kuchiki!" grinned the face of Shiba Kaien. "It's been a long time!"

"Kaien-dono," Rukia breathed, feeling the prickling behind her eyes of tears threatening to show themselves. "No… this isn't fair!" she cried out, her blade dropping to the floor with a clang. "I had already come to terms with your death. And yet here you are again…"

Kaien's face hardened. "You may have, Kuchiki," he said, "but I haven't. You killed me," he said accusingly, and Rukia flinched at the words. "It was your blade that I felt tearing through my body. I was consumed by the hollow, and you killed it." His hand went down to the familiar blue-wrapped zanpakutou at his waist, drawing it slowly.

Rukia watched in shock as Kaien approached her slowly, his blade raised and poised to strike. In a flash, she threw herself backward, pushing off from the cold tiled ground, her hand wrapping around her dropped zanpakutou as she avoided the horizontal strike at her neck by mere centimeters.

"Aw, c'mon Kuchiki!" Kaien said, advancing on her again. "Why didn't you just let me kill you? It's only payback. An eye for an eye, you know?" He grinned. "Or didn't you want me to forgive you for killing me?"

Rukia froze again, and Kaien struck. Leaping forward, he struck again, aiming to behead the stunned Thirteenth division vice-captain. Again, Rukia only barely ducked, jerking her head back. It wasn't enough to completely duck the blow, and the razor-sharp blade sliced through her hair and the back of her neck. It was a shallow cut, but blood began flowing quickly from the wound immediately. Rukia clapped a hand to the cut, using kidou to seal the wound while backing away from the advancing figure of Kaien, his blade now stained with her blood.

"Kaien-dono!" she cried, as Kaien leapt towards her again, blade flashing. "Please, stop! I don't want to fight you!" Sparks flew as his blade struck hers, throwing her back with the force of the blow.

"Well that's too bad!" growled Kaien. "You killed me. You _killed _me!"

"I'm sorry!" she cried, still dodging and blocking strikes. "But I can't let you kill me!"

"Oh?" said Kaien, pausing mid-strike. "And why is that? Don't you want forgiveness for killing me?" His face grew thoughtful. "Hmm… I suppose I could forgive you without killing you. _But_," he said, raising a gloved finger, "there's a condition." Rukia also stopped her desperate defense. "You must bring me the heads of your companions."

Rukia's eyes hardened. "You're not Kaien-dono," she snapped. "Kaien-dono would never ask something like that from me. Kaien-dono was a kind person. He would never want me to do that!"

Kaien glared at her. "And the Kuchiki I knew would never _kill_ me," he spat, and Rukia recoiled as if struck. "This is your penance for your crimes, Kuchiki. If you just take them, it'll be that much easier on you."

"I… I'm sorry, Kaien-dono," said Rukia, her head bowed. "Once, long ago, I would have been more than willing for you to kill me. But things have changed. I admired you endlessly, as well as Miyako-san, but there's now someone else that I love even more."

"That damn strawberry," growled Kaien. "He ruined all of Aizen-sama's plans. His time will come." He raised his blade again. "Meanwhile, I'll just dispose of you first. There's no way you can beat me. There's no way you can raise your blade against this face."

"Really?" Rukia growled. Raising her hand, she faced the approaching figure of her ex-mentor. "Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel! With light, divide this into six! Bakudo no. 61, _Rikujokorou!_"

Kaien cursed as the six flat bands of light crashed into his midsection, pinning himself in place. He began raising his reiatsu to break the binding, the first glowing golden band crumbling away.

"Ye lord, mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus. In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens! Hadou no. 73, _Soren Soukatsui!_" As Rukia chanted, blue flame gathered at her hands, concentrating at the center of her palm. She finished the incantation, and blue fire roared from her palm, blasting its way through the air at the trapped Espada.

The fire engulfed the Espada in an instant, blasting its way through the wall behind him, leaving a gaping hole in the tower. The smoke settled, and Rukia poised herself. There was no way an Espada could be defeated by a single kidou spell. And she was right. There stood the figure of her opponent, the hollow that definitely was _not_ Kaien, standing, unharmed except for his clothing being singed by the blast of fire.

As he stood in the sunlight streaming in from the hole, the flesh seemed to bubble and melt from his face. It was repulsive to watch, and what lay beneath the façade of Shiba Kaien was even more so.

"Che," spat one of the two floating balls in the glass tank that sat upon the Espada's shoulders. "His memories never showed that you were capable of using that spell."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Espada," Rukia said sharply.

"Whatever," dismissed the other 'head' in the tank. "I guess this means we have to introduce ourselves. We are Arroniero Arruierre, the Novena Espada."

"Finally," said Rukia, a dark smirk etching itself onto her face. "So you really aren't Kaien. Good. Now I can fight you seriously."

"Silly girl," said the first head. "We may not _be_ Kaien Shiba, but we can still use all his abilities. You remember the hollow that possessed him, Metastacia? We ate him. Kaien Shiba is one of the many souls we have consumed."

The other head took up the tale. "We are the only Espada that Aizen-sama created that was once a Gillian. The others were all adjuchas or Vasto Lorde. Do you know why he allowed a mere Gillian to become an Espada?" He didn't allow Rukia to answer. "It's because we have unlimited potential!"

Leaping out of the ray of sunlight, Kaien's face again grew over the glass, covering it completely. "This should be familiar to you, Kuchiki!" The white-clad Espada began spinning his blade at his side. "Surge, waters and heaven, Nejibana!"

The spinning blade at his side glowed, elongating into the shape of an elegant trident with a crystal head. Grabbing it with a glowed hand, Kaien grinned as water exploded around his body. "I'll kill you, Kuchiki!"

Rukia's eyes narrowed. So this hollow could not only assume Kaien's figure, but also access his powers? "Despicable," she spat, raising her blade. "How dare you defile Kaien-dono's image and memory like this? I shall punish you for your crimes, hollow. Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"

With a rush of cold air, she released her zanpakutou, the pure-white blade poised to strike, the elegant white silk ribbon trailing in the wind behind her. "Not a chance!" roared Kaien, charging at her, his trident raised. "I was the one who taught you that release! Do you think you can defeat me with that?"

Rukia didn't bother to reply verbally. She slashed through the air, sending a wave of snow straight at the charging Espada.

"Weak!" he bellowed, sweeping the column of snow aside with a wave of water and a flick of his trident. "I taught you that attack! I was there when you first used it! I know all of the powers of your zanpakutou, Kuchiki!"

"Bullshit," Rukia whispered. Catching the prongs of the trident with her blade, she shoved hard, causing the Espada to stumble slightly form the force of the push. Leaping back away from her opponent, she leapt high into the air, poising her hands for her signature kidou attack. "_Shakkahou!_"

Instead of only a single red sphere of power, balls of flame began to explode from her palm one after another with the speed of an automatic machine gun, each leaving a small crater in the ground or wall that it impacted.

"Impressive!" roared Kaien, blocking half a dozen spells with a wave of water. "You've improved your kidou! But it's still not strong enough to defeat me!" Raising a hand, a red glow began to grow at the center.

"Cero!" The blast roared its way towards Rukia, who continued to chain dozens after dozens of _shakkahou_ spells, firing them into the center of the cero blasting towards her. Raising her reiatsu, she began to increase power on the spells, finishing with a massive _soukatsui_ that impacted the approaching cero with a massive explosion, blowing both fighters back.

"Enough!" snarled Kaien. "It's time to end this, Kuchiki!" He tugged off the glove from his right hand, revealing a twisted tentacle-like appendage. "It's time for you to see my resurrecion! Devour, Glutoneria!" His reiatsu exploded, sending chunks of debris at Rukia, who shielded her face with her arm, grimacing slightly as slivers and shards of stone cut her arm.

When she looked again, a horrifying sight greeted her. A massive… _creature_ sat where Kaien had been standing. It was easily the size of the scaffold of the Soukyoku, and right on the top sat the top half of the Espada, still in the form of Kaien and holding Nejibana.

"HAHAHAHA!" laughed the Espada. "Behold! My resurrecion, Glutoneria! I will devour you, Rukia Kuchiki, and make you part of my collection!" Tentacles whipped at her, and she leapt backwards, only for them to extend and wrap around her waist. She grimaced as they tightened around her body, and quickly sliced through them with a slash of her blade.

"I guess it's time…" she muttered. Releasing one hand from Sode no Shirayuki, she shouted, "Third Dance, _Shirafune!_" Wrapping her free hand around the grip of the pure-ice copy of Sode no Shirayuki, she whirled into action.

Spinning and slashing with the special two-handed style Ukitake had taught her, she sliced off incoming tentacles left and right. A surge of water came from her right, clearly summoned by Nejibana, and Rukia didn't even spare it a glance as she sent a blast of snow from her blade, freezing it in place as she continued to attack the main body of the monsterous release.

"Die, Kuchiki!" Arroniero roared, sending a concentrated blast of water and tentacles straight at her, more tentacles whipping at her from all directions.

Rukia flashed her twin blades in a crescent slash horizontally, a massive white circle appearing on the floor beneath her. In an instant, she flashed out of the way as a column of ice froze the enemy's attack, shattering the tentacles to dust. Slashing again, she sent another wave of snow at the monster, freezing it to the ground. She ignored the curses of the hollow and poised her blades. "It's over, Espada. Goodbye." The column of ice was the largest she had ever summoned, piercing the roof of the tower and shooting into the sky. With a single slash, it shattered to dust, leaving nothing behind.

Rukia stood in the circle of light, gazing sadly at the motes of dust swirling in the air. "I truly am sorry for what happened, Kaien-dono. May your spirit rest in peace."

#

Sorry for the shorter chapter, and the long time since my last update, but this chapter was really hard to write for some reason. Had some writers block, obviously… Well, thanks for reading!

~fokker333


	28. ANNOUNCEMENT

Well everyone, this is it. I'm sorry to say that it's been a long time coming. I'm officially announcing the discontinuation of _When Genius Meets Death_. Now I know that many of you enjoy reading the story, and in truth I really enjoyed writing it as well. But as I read back through it, I realized that I've slowly strayed away from the original premise for writing the story, in that Ichigo is a genius. As a recent reviewer pointed out, the biggest flaw in my idea is that I, despite being smarter than average, am not a genius like I wanted Ichigo to be in this story. Because of that, I can't write Ichigo as a genius. He's slowly turned from being a 'genius' to a somewhat overpowered character with few flaws. Although it's certainly possible at this point for me to give him more flaws and balance him as a character in general, I'm afraid it's going to take too long to change the rest of the story to correspond with those flaws. And, let's just face it. I've lost inspiration to write this story. It's been far too long since I last updated, and I haven't even started the next chapter yet. I just don't have it in me to continue this story.

I welcome anyone to write a story with the same premise as this, if they believe themselves capable of writing a Genius!Ichigo. However, I'm going to make it clear that this story is _not_ up for adoption. Although I'm ending _When Genius Meets Death_, I will still always regard it as my pride and joy, my first popular story on fanfiction. I would like to take this time to thank everyone who's supported me as well as this story up to this point. Without you guys, I would never have found it in me to write up to this point. I hugely appreciate all the reviews I've gotten, whether they be simply telling me about how cool this story was, or the super long constructive reviews that tell me exactly what they liked/disliked/wanted to see about this story. I hope that all of you continue to show the same support for any other stories out there that you showed for me. Thank you.

And with that, I officially announce:

_**WHEN GENIUS MEETS DEATH**_** IS OFFICIALLY DISCONTINUED.**

Finally, everyone go to my profile and check out my other stories! Shameless plug I know, but hey, they're still my stories. Current work in progress: _The Reaper_, a Harry Potter/Bleach crossover.

Thanks one last time for everything. Fokker333 out!

~fokker333


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